Recreational fishing in the US catches far more fish than previously estimated

Combining more than 15,000 reports from 36 states, researchers estimate that recreational fishing puts $3 billion worth of food on Americans’ tables each year.

By: Matthew Robertson, Memorial University of Newfoundland, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: May 6, 2026

Words: 1,135

Last Updated: 2 months, 3 weeks ago

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By Matthew Robertson, Memorial University of Newfoundland

One of the United States’ largest fisheries is hiding in plain sight. Recreational freshwater anglers in the lower 48 states catch – and keep – far more fish than any official body has estimated, according to new research from our team of North American fishery scientists.

Specifically, our analysis, which integrated thousands of recreational fishing surveys across the U.S., found that people who engage in recreational fishing in …

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