Fly Fishing Statistics 2026: 22 Key Data Points
By RiffleDge . 7 min read . Updated June 2026
Fishing is one of the most popular outdoor pursuits in America, and fly fishing has held its own corner of it for years. This page collects 22 of the most useful, fully sourced statistics on US fishing and fly fishing specifically: how many people fish, how many fly fish, who is taking it up, what the activity contributes to the economy and to conservation, and how large the fly fishing gear market has become. Every figure below names its source and year so you can cite it with confidence. The data spans recent reporting from the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, the American Sportfishing Association, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and major market researchers.
The short answer
A record 57.9 million Americans went fishing in 2024, about 19 percent of the population, and fly fishing topped 8 million participants for the second straight year. Women made up 37 percent of all anglers, the sportfishing industry contributed 230.5 billion dollars to the US economy, and the global fly fishing market is on track to roughly double to 2.01 billion dollars by 2035.
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How many people fish, and how many fly fish
According to the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF) and American Sportfishing Association Special Report on Fishing, as reported by Marine Fabricator, a record 57.9 million Americans aged 6 and older went fishing in 2024. That puts the fishing participation rate at 19 percent of the population, an all-time high.
Fly fishing is a meaningful slice of that total. The same RBFF and ASA reporting, as covered by DUN Magazine, found that fly fishing participation topped 8 million for the second straight year. Fly fishing has held that 8-million-plus level even as overall fishing participation reached new records.
A separate US Fish and Wildlife Service survey, which counts anglers aged 16 and older over a full year, reported about 40 million anglers in its 2022 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. The two counts differ because they use different age cutoffs and survey methods.
Who is fishing: demographics
Fishing is more diverse than its reputation suggests. The RBFF and ASA report, via DUN Magazine, found that 21.3 million women went fishing in 2024, the highest female participation on record. Per the Marine Fabricator coverage of the same report, women made up 37 percent of all fishing participants.
Youth participation is strong too: the report counted 12.7 million youth anglers. Early exposure matters, with roughly 85 percent of current participants having tried fishing before age 12, according to the Marine Fabricator coverage.
The angler base is broadening across communities. The Marine Fabricator reporting found Hispanic anglers reached 6.6 million, nearly double the 3.3 million counted in 2014, and Black anglers reached 5.5 million, the highest on record.
The pandemic surge that reshaped fishing
Much of the current participation base was built during 2020. The RBFF 2021 Special Report on Fishing, as reported by Boating Industry, found that 55 million Americans aged 6 and older fished during the first pandemic year.
That year added 5 million new and returning anglers, a 10 percent participation increase, including 4.4 million first-time anglers. Those newcomers helped push participation to the records the activity has continued to set since.
The economics of recreational fishing
Fishing is a major economic engine. The American Sportfishing Association, in its Sportfishing in America report covered by the Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership, put the sportfishing industry contribution to the US economy at 230.5 billion dollars and credited it with supporting 1.1 million jobs nationwide.
A broader federal accounting agrees on the scale. The US Fish and Wildlife Service reported that Americans spent 394 billion dollars on fishing, hunting, and wildlife-associated activities in 2022, the most ever recorded. An earlier ASA economic report, via SGB Media, counted 52.4 million US anglers.
Fishing pays for conservation
Anglers fund a large share of US conservation directly through gear taxes and license fees. The American Sportfishing Association, via SGB Media, reported that anglers contribute about 1.8 billion dollars to conservation funding each year.
A central channel for that money is the Sport Fish Restoration program. Wildlife for All reports that the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act apportioned about 399 million dollars to states and territories in fiscal year 2022, drawn largely from excise taxes on fishing tackle and motorboat fuel.
The fly fishing gear market
The equipment side is growing steadily. Business Research Insights sizes the global fly fishing market at 1.19 billion dollars in 2025, projecting growth to 2.01 billion dollars by 2035 at a 6 percent compound annual growth rate.
The wider tackle category is expanding too. SkyQuest Technology projects the global fishing equipment market reaching 2.12 billion dollars by 2033 at a 4.3 percent CAGR. For a sport where the right small accessory makes a real difference on the water, that growth shows up in better nets, packs, and tippet, the kind of gear we rank in our Fishpond Nomad Emerger Net 2.0 and net buying coverage.
Fishpond Nomad Emerger Net 2.0
The community standard for wade anglers, a carbon fiber and fiberglass frame that floats with a fish-safe TPU rubber basket and a 15.5 by 10.5 inch hoop that handles most trout cleanly.
Sources
Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation and American Sportfishing Association, Special Report on Fishing, 2024 and 2021, as reported by Marine Fabricator, DUN Magazine, and Boating Industry.
US Fish and Wildlife Service, National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, 2022.
American Sportfishing Association, Sportfishing in America and Economic Contributions of Recreational Fishing, 2024 and 2023, as reported by the Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership and SGB Media.
Wildlife for All, Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act Explained, 2022.
Business Research Insights, Fly Fishing Market Report, 2025. SkyQuest Technology, Fishing Equipment Market Report.
Featured in this guide
Fishpond Nomad Emerger Net 2.0
The community standard for wade anglers, a carbon fiber and fiberglass frame that floats with a fish-safe TPU rubber basket and a 15.5 by 10.5 inch hoop that handles most trout cleanly.
Related roundups
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How many people fly fish in the US?+
Fly fishing participation topped 8 million for the second straight year, according to the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation and American Sportfishing Association Special Report on Fishing. That is a subset of the 57.9 million Americans who went fishing in 2024, a record that represents about 19 percent of the population.
Is fishing growing in 2026?+
Yes. Overall US fishing participation reached a record 57.9 million people in 2024 at a 19 percent participation rate, both all-time highs. Much of that base was built during the 2020 surge, which added 5 million new and returning anglers, and participation has continued to set records since.
What percentage of anglers are women?+
Women made up 37 percent of all fishing participants, with 21.3 million women fishing in 2024, the highest female participation on record, according to the RBFF and ASA Special Report on Fishing.
How big is the fishing economy?+
The American Sportfishing Association put the sportfishing industry contribution to the US economy at 230.5 billion dollars, supporting 1.1 million jobs. More broadly, the US Fish and Wildlife Service reported Americans spent 394 billion dollars on fishing, hunting, and wildlife activities in 2022, the most ever recorded.
How big is the fly fishing gear market?+
Business Research Insights sizes the global fly fishing market at 1.19 billion dollars in 2025, projected to reach 2.01 billion dollars by 2035 at a 6 percent compound annual growth rate. The broader fishing equipment market is projected at 2.12 billion dollars by 2033.
Does fishing fund conservation?+
Yes, significantly. Anglers contribute about 1.8 billion dollars to conservation each year, largely through the Sport Fish Restoration program, which apportioned about 399 million dollars to states and territories in fiscal year 2022 from taxes on fishing tackle and motorboat fuel.