
2025 Fishing Participation Report: What the Numbers Say for Women and Fishing in 2026
Fishing Hit a Record in 2024. The Hard Part Starts Now. I read the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation’s 2025 Special Report on Fishing with one goal in mind: translate the numbers into what they mean for real outdoor lives. Not just anglers. All of us. This report tracks participation through 2024, and it tells a clear story. Fishing is big, still growing, and still acting like a gateway to time outside. It is not “solved.” Retention is the next fight. 57.9 million people went fishing
