Record High Fishing Participation Reached 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 6 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.