Jose Sanchez
Research expert covering society, economy, & politics for Latin America
Recreational fishing in the U.S. - statistics & facts
From Cape Cod to the Florida Keys, the United States has a wide array of enticing options for fishing enthusiasts. But how many people in the U.S. go fishing? Around 58 million Americans flocked to the nation’s waterways to engage in freshwater, saltwater, and fly-fishing activities in 2024. This represented the highest U.S. fishing participation rate in over a decade. Meanwhile, the market size of the U.S. fishing industry, measured by revenue, reached almost six billion U.S. dollars in 2024, showing a slight decrease over the previous year.
However, for some it is not that simple to spend a relaxing day on the water; barriers to recreational fishing can include a lack of affordable access to boats, fishing gear, and fishing licenses. In many U.S. states, fishing license costs have been going up over the past years, and in 2024, the gross cost of fishing licenses in the U.S. reached around 900 million U.S. dollars. That said, this does not look to be putting off many fishing enthusiasts, as shown by the fact that the number of paid fishing license holders in the U.S. in 2024 was the second highest it has been in the past 20 years.
What type of recreational fishing is the most popular in the U.S.?
Freshwater fishing has long been the most popular fishing activity among recreational anglers in the United States. In 2024, there were nearly twice as many freshwater fishing participants in the U.S. compared to the combined number of saltwater participants and fly-fishing participants. Fishing takes place all over the U.S., but participation remains highest in the South. Home to extensive coastline and numerous inland lakes and waterways, just over 40 percent of fishing participants were in this region. In 2024, fishing participation across age groups was split fairly evenly, this hobby being practiced by young and old alike. Moreover, while a majority of recreational fishing participants were men, women’s participation was still notable.Why do Americans go fishing?
Other than catching a fish, some of the leading benefits of fishing cited by its U.S. participants in 2024 were getting away from the usual demands of life and being close to nature. Another advantage that was mentioned was spending time with family and friends, which was reflected in the relatively high average number of people per fishing trip. In 2024, nearly 80 percent of recreational fishing trips in the U.S. included between two and five people.However, for some it is not that simple to spend a relaxing day on the water; barriers to recreational fishing can include a lack of affordable access to boats, fishing gear, and fishing licenses. In many U.S. states, fishing license costs have been going up over the past years, and in 2024, the gross cost of fishing licenses in the U.S. reached around 900 million U.S. dollars. That said, this does not look to be putting off many fishing enthusiasts, as shown by the fact that the number of paid fishing license holders in the U.S. in 2024 was the second highest it has been in the past 20 years.
