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2026 Special Report on Fishing shows first decline in fishing participation since 2021

by American Sportfishing Association 4 Aug 07:26 PDT

Last week, ASA announced the results of the 2026 Special Report on Fishing. In total, 57 million Americans, roughly 18% of the U.S. population, went fishing in 2025.

While up nearly 25% from a decade ago, total participation is down from 57.9 million in 2024 - the first year-over-year decrease since 2021.

"In 2025, fishing continued to bring Americans together, connecting people to the outdoors, sustaining families and strengthening the communities and economies that depend on it," said ASA President and CEO, Glenn Hughes. "While trendline data still shows growth in the past decade, keeping anglers engaged in fishing continues to be a struggle, with 19 million people dropping from the sport in 2025 - the highest rate of 'churn' on record."

Read the full release and explore this year's report.

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