Reports and Trends

Recreational fishing is big business. Regardless of what brings them to the water, our nation’s 49 million anglers are a formidable economic force in our nation’s economy.

2020 Retail Market Size Report

This report provides the 2020 total dollars and units sold at retail for dozens of fishing tackle categories. The results are intended to help companies understand the size and trends within their product niches and to identify new areas for growth.

Contact Member Relations Manager Rob Russel to request your copy.

Sportfishing in America

$51 billion in retail sales. $129 billion economic impact. 826,000 jobs.

Sportfishing in America is your snapshot into the size and economic powerhouse that is recreational fishing. Use this report to understand our industry’s impact by region, the size of your current or potential new market and how much anglers spend by category.

Data Dashboard

The latest national and regional sportfishing participation statistics are at your fingertips.

Angler Personas Study

People are drawn to sportfishing for a variety of reasons, many of which include escape, engagement, challenge, and relaxation. To the extent that recruitment/retention professionals, manufacturers, retailers, and other sportfishing organizations can recognize the unique angler personas and tap into their motivations, marketing and communication efforts will be more effective and efficient, driving increased sales and participation.

This study identified seven unique personas that comprise U.S. anglers. By understanding the core reasons why people fish, both state agency professionals and the private sector will be better equipped to maintain participation and sales.

2020 Special Report on Fishing

Detailed information and trends on fishing participation by gender, age, ethnicity, income, education and geographic region. The report is conducted by RBFF and the Outdoor Foundation.

Recreational Fishing’s Impact on Local Communities

Recreational fishing has a significant economic impact on communities throughout the U.S. But what does that really mean?

Discover the fishing industry’s economic footprint, jobs supported and angler contributions in your state. Search for specifics by all 435 Congressional districts and all 50 states.

American’s Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting and Trapping 2019

Nationally, 93% of Americans approve of legal recreational fishing. Get all the latest stats from this comprehensive report by NSSF.

Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account

Did you know that the outdoor recreation economy makes up 2.2 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product?

Reports and Research Archive

Get all the facts you need to make informed decisions and create impressive reports.