57M+
people fished in the United States in 2025
The participation estimate covers Americans age 6 and older who went fishing at least once during the year.
Source: American Sportfishing Association, 2026 Special Report on Fishing, July 29, 2026♧ Free shipping on orders $75+
REEL FSHN reference
U.S. fishing statistics
Participation, trips, catch, and economic impact, collected in one source-linked reference for people who care about fishing.
Last updated October 2, 2026
The quick read
Fishing remains one of America's biggest reasons to get outside. More than 57 million people went fishing in 2025, while saltwater trips alone supported major coastal businesses, guides, marinas, and communities.
Participation
How many people fish?
These figures come from the 2026 Special Report on Fishing and describe participation during 2025.
918M
fishing outings were taken in 2025
That figure captures the scale of time Americans chose to spend fishing across the year.
Source: American Sportfishing Association, 2026 Special Report on Fishing, July 29, 20266.3M
people tried fishing for the first time in 2025
New participants are a useful sign that the sport continues to bring fresh people to the water.
Source: American Sportfishing Association, 2026 Special Report on Fishing, July 29, 202621.1M
women participated in fishing in 2025
Women made up a substantial and growing part of the fishing audience reported in the participation study.
Source: American Sportfishing Association, 2026 Special Report on Fishing, July 29, 2026Saltwater fishing
Trips, catch, and economic impact
NOAA's latest published national saltwater figures describe activity and impact during 2023.
15.5M
people fished in saltwater in 2025
Saltwater participation includes anglers who fish coastal and marine waters.
Source: American Sportfishing Association, 2026 Special Report on Fishing, July 29, 2026204M
saltwater fishing trips were taken in 2023
This count covers saltwater trips in the continental United States and Hawaii.
Source: NOAA Fisheries, Fisheries of the United States 2023, February 9, 20261.1B
fish were caught on U.S. saltwater recreational trips in 2023
NOAA estimates that anglers released 65% of the fish they caught that year.
Source: NOAA Fisheries, Fisheries of the United States 2023, February 9, 2026$145.4B
in sales impact came from saltwater recreational fishing in 2023
Those fishing-related sales supported 694,041 full- and part-time jobs nationwide.
Source: NOAA Fisheries, Recreational Fishing, February 2026Keeping anglers engaged
Why participation needs a closer look
Participation is more than a headcount. The latest annual report also tracks who steps away from fishing and who plans to return.
19M
people lapsed from fishing between 2024 and 2025
The participation report describes this as the highest annual angler churn it has recorded.
Source: American Sportfishing Association, 2026 Special Report on Fishing, July 29, 202699%
of 2025 anglers expected to fish again in 2026
The finding points to a strong intention to return among people who stayed active in the sport.
Source: American Sportfishing Association, 2026 Special Report on Fishing, July 29, 2026Methodology and sources
How to read these statistics
This page uses published figures from the American Sportfishing Association and NOAA Fisheries. It does not combine unlike reporting years or present estimates as current facts. The source link below every statistic leads to the report or published summary that supports it.
- American Sportfishing Association, 2026 Special Report on Fishing, published July 29, 2026. Participation figures refer to 2025.
- NOAA Fisheries, Recreational Fishing, published February 2026. Saltwater economic impact figures refer to 2023.
- NOAA Fisheries, Fisheries of the United States 2023, published February 9, 2026. Saltwater trip and catch figures refer to 2023.
Cite this page
Make the source easy to trace
Suggested citation: REEL FSHN, U.S. Fishing Statistics: Participation, Trips & Economic Impact, updated October 2, 2026. Link directly to this page or to any statistic above using its heading.
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