In a year marked by instability, families nationwide increasingly found time to connect by picking up a rod and reel. The 2023 Special Report on Fishing produced by the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation and the Outdoor Foundation highlights the facts that fishing promotes wellness, fosters a bond with family members and forges a deep connection with nature that many Americans strive to achieve together.
Across lakes, rivers, streams and seas, from shore and aboard boats, 54.5 million Americans ages 6 and older went fishing in 2022, a 4% increase from 2021. This is all just slightly below the records set in 2020, when Americans took to fishing en masse as a safe, outdoor pandemic activity. (The 2022 figures also outpaced pre-Covid participation in 2019.)
While the overall participation numbers are good news, we have our work cut out to continue welcoming youth to the sport. After the Covid bump in 2020, fishing’s national participation rate among children ages 6 to 12 dipped. On the brighter side, participant numbers grew by 3% to 7.8 million child participants, more than 1 million more than a decade ago.
As with younger children, fishing’s national participation rate among teens also fell a percentage point in 2022. Actual participant numbers increased slightly to 4.9 million and remained above the 2019 level of 4.3 million. This represents an average annual increase of 6% in adolescent participation between 2019 and 2022.
However, the kids who are going fishing are going more often. Total annual outings among children 6 to 12 increased 5% to 105 million in 2022, the second-highest level on record. It’s the teens who are falling off. Not only were children more likely than adolescents to say they wanted to fish more, but outings among adolescents also fell 2%, to 82 million.
Engagement of youth anglers reaches across family ties. Adults with children, particularly younger children, participated in fishing at much higher levels than adults without children. In fact, for the past three years, the participation rate in households with children ages 6 to 12 and adolescents ages 13 to 17 reported annual growth averaging 6% and 5%, respectively. By comparison, participation in households with no children grew by only 3% during the same period.
The fad catches on, and kids see their friends take to the water. Fifteen percent of non-participating American youths ages 6 to 17 expressed interest in fishing in 2022, up from 11% in 2020. However, fewer Black and Hispanic children and adolescents expressed an interest in fishing than participated in 2021, underscoring the need for expanded outreach to engage underrepresented populations.
Hispanic participation rose from 4.7 million in 2021 to 5.1 million in 2022, and women’s participation approached the 2020 all-time high, representing 36% of total anglers.
The data underscores the importance of introducing fishing early, as 86% of current fishing participants fished before age 12. Participation rates fall sharply after a child turns 18, making families with young children the key to growing future participation.
RBFF is at the helm of these efforts. By understanding participants’ demographics, motivations and barriers, the fishing industry can better nurture a new generation of fishing enthusiasts while retaining those new to the sport. Connecting women, youth and people of color to fishing and boating will ensure that our nation’s waterways are protected, our communities are healthy, and our industry is thriving.
Dave Chanda is president and CEO of the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation.
This article was originally published in the September 2023 issue.
