The post-pandemic surge in fishing participation continues to put record numbers of anglers on the water, but data from the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation’s 2025 Special Report on Fishing finds churn continues to pose a significant challenge.
Last year, 57.9 million Americans age 6 and older went fishing, an all-time-high 19 percent of the U.S. population. Data also continues to underscore the critical importance of introducing fishing at a young age.
Eighty-five percent of current fishing participants fished before age 12, but participation rates fell sharply after a child turned 18, and female youth quit fishing at an 11% higher rate than males.
“Retaining newcomers remains an integral part of fishing’s continued success,” said RBFF president and CEO Dave Chanda. “New anglers are younger, from all walks of life and digitally connected. The industry must remind newcomers about great fishing experiences, highlight convenient water access, provide beginner educational resources, emphasize the social aspects of fishing and boating, and recommend cost-effective equipment.”
According to the report, spending time with family and friends was a key driver for new anglers in 2024. Many new anglers reported that being outdoors and relaxation inspired their first fishing trip. In addition, the report provides a comprehensive look at the state of U.S. fishing participation:
• 5.1 million Americans tried fishing for the first time in 2024, representing 9 percent of total participants, up from 7 percent in 2023.
• More than 43 million Americans age 6 and older went freshwater fishing last year, holding steady for the third consecutive year.
• After hitting 15 million anglers for the first time in 2023, saltwater fishing participation grew to 15.1 million in 2024.
• For the second year in a row, fly-fishing topped 8 million participants.
• 21.3 million women went fishing last year, the highest number on record.
• 36.7 million men went fishing in 2024, the highest number on record.
• More than 5.5 million Black Americans age 6 and older fished in 2024, the highest number since tracking began in 2007.
• Hispanic participation increased more than 3 million in a decade, increasing from 3.3 million in 2014 to 6.6 million in 2024.
“Despite all this good news, there are two very concerning trends in fishing participation,” Chanda said. “Each year we’re losing more and more participants, and avid participants are fishing less.”
In 2024, fishing lost 16.6 million anglers, a minus-23% churn, compared with an 18 percent decline five years ago and 12 percent 10 years ago. In addition, participation among more frequent anglers has declined since participation tracking began in 2007. Just 32 percent fished once a month or more last year, down from 37 percent a decade ago. RBFF conducted research in 2023 on the “Psychology of Churn” to help stakeholders tackle these challenges.
The annual Special Report on Fishing provides an overview of fishing participation in the U.S., including participation among key groups, barriers to entry, reasons for participation and more. RBFF created the report in partnership with the Outdoor Foundation.
