RBFF reports record fishing participation in 2024

The post-pandemic surge of participation in fishing continues to get record numbers of participants on the water, but data from the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation’s (RBFF) 2025 Special Report on Fishing finds churn continues to pose a significant challenge for the industry.  

In 2024, 57.9 million Americans ages six and up took to the nation’s waterways to enjoy recreational 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 the age of 12, but participation rates fell sharply after a child turned 18, and specifically female youth quit fishing at an 11% higher rate than male youth.  

“Retaining newcomers remains an integral part of fishing’s continued success,” said Dave Chanda, president and CEO of RBFF. “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 new report, spending time with family and friends was a key driver for new anglers in 2024. Many new anglers also reported that being in the great outdoors and relaxation inspired their first fishing trip. In addition to these results, the report provides a comprehensive look at the state of fishing participation in the U.S.: 

• 5.1 million Americans tried fishing for the first time in 2024, representing nine percent of total participants, up from seven percent in 2023. 

• More than 43 million Americans ages six and over went freshwater fishing in 2024, holding steady for the third consecutive year. 

• After hitting 15 million anglers for the first time in 2023, saltwater fishing participation grew slightly to 15.1 million in 2024. 

• For the second year in a row, fly fishing topped eight million participants. 

• 21.3 million women went fishing in 2024, the highest number of female participants on record. 

• 36.7 million men went fishing in 2024, the highest number of male participants on record. 

• More than 5.5 million Black Americans ages six and over fished in 2024, the highest number since activity tracking began in 2007. 

• Hispanic fishing participation increased by over three 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 added. “Each year we’re losing more and more participants, and avid participants are fishing less.” 

In 2024, fishing lost 16.6 million anglers (a -23% churn) versus being a loss of 18 percent five years ago and 12 percent 10 years ago. In addition, participation among more frequent anglers has gradually declined since participation tracking began in 2007. Just 32 percent fished once a month or more in 2024, down from 37% a decade ago.  

RBFF conducted research in 2023 on the Psychology of Churn to help its state and industry stakeholders tackle these challenges. 

The Special Report on Fishing, an annual report in its 15th year, provides an overview of fishing participation in the U.S., including participation numbers among key groups, barriers to entry, reasons for participation, and more. RBFF created the report in partnership with the Outdoor Foundation.