2020 Saltwater Recreational Fishing Statistics

Striped Bass

U.S. anglers took nearly 200 million trips in 2020, according to Fisheries of the United States, 2020, from NOAA Fisheries.

U.S. recreational anglers caught an estimated billion fish in 2020, releasing 65 percent of those caught.

The total recreational harvest was estimated at 344 million fish with a combined weight of more than 353 million pounds.

The top U.S. species ranked by pounds harvested were striped bass, bluefish, red snapper, Spanish mackerel, spotted seatrout, and dolphinfish.

The Atlantic Coast accounted for 68 percent of marine recreational trips and 68 percent of the overall catch. The Gulf Coast accounted for 29 percent of trips and 30 percent of catch. Alaska, Hawaii, and the Pacific Coast collectively accounted for 3 percent of trips and 2 percent of catch.

Fisheries of the United States is the annual National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) yearbook of fishery statistics for the United States for 2020. The report has been produced in its various forms for more than 100 years.

The report provides data on U.S. recreational catch and commercial fisheries landings and value as well as other aspects of U.S. commercial fishing.

source: Fisheries of the United States, 2020

Related Information

2019 USA Marine Recreational Fishing Catch Statistics

2019 USA Marine Recreational Fishing Catch Statistics

Red Drum

The 2019 U.S. marine recreational finfish catch, including fish kept and fish released (discarded) on the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts (including Alaska and Hawaii), was an estimated 950 million fish. 

The catch required anglers to take an estimated 187 million fishing trips (Alaska trip data not available for 2019). 

The 2019 total harvest (fish kept or released dead) of saltwater fish by recreational anglers was estimated at 341 million fish weighing 350 million pounds.

Top Recreational and Commercial Finfish Species

Atlantic

1 Striped Bass
2 Bluefish
3 Scup
4 Dolphinfish
5 Black Sea Bass
6 Spotted Sea Trout
7 Summer flounder (fluke)
8 Tautog
9 Catfish
10 King and Cero Mackerel

Gulf Coast

1 Red snapper
2 Spanish Mackerel
3 Red Drum
4 Spotted Sea Trout
5 Sardine
6 Snappers
7 Mullets
8 King and Cero Mackerel
9 Little Tunny
10 Dolphinfish

HMS Compliance Guides

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has released updated versions of Commercial and Recreational Compliance Guides for Atlantic tunas, swordfish, billfish, and sharks.

Thee guides have been updated based on recent regulatory changes made via Final Amendment 8 to the 2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan on Commercial Swordfish Management Measures and a final rule modifying Vessel Monitoring System requirements.

NMFS Commercial and Recreational Compliance Guides are intended to provide a plain-language summary of how to comply with the HMS regulations and can be found at:

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/Compliance_Guide/index.htm

source: NOAA Fisheries

Draft Amendment 5 to the Consolidated HMS Plan for Management of Atlantic Sharks

The National Marine Fisheries Service recently introduced Draft Amendment 5 to the Consolidated HMS Plan for Management of Atlantic Sharks.

The amendment includes measures to prevent overfishing and rebuild overfished stocks of several species, including Sandbar, dusky, Atlantic blacknose, and scalloped hammerhead sharks.

If approved, the amendment could impact fishermen who use pelagic or bottom longline gear, recreational fishermen who catch sharks of any species, and dealers who buy or sell sharks or shark products.

Comments on the amendment are being accepted through February 5, 2013.

For more information go to: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/ or contact Peter Cooper at peter.cooper@noaa.gov  or 301-427-8503.

source: NOAA Fisheries

New 2012 Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Regulations

The National Marine Fisheries Service recently announced that it is adjusting the General category Atlantic bluefin tuna daily retention limit to three large medium or giant (73 inches or greater curved fork length) bluefin tuna effective June 1-August 31, 2012.

The new limit applies to vessels permitted in the Atlantic tunas General category as well as vessels permitted in the HMS Charter/Headboat category while fishing commercially.

source: NMFS

RFA-FL Files Lawsuit Against NMFS to Stop Amendment 17A Red Snapper Bottom Fishing Closure

According to RFA-FL representative Dave Heil, a lawsuit has been filed in the Federal District Court of Jacksonville, FL to overturn the red snapper closure and the bottom closure off of Northeast Florida.

"Amendment 17A which contains the red snapper closure and bottom fishing ban is in clear violation of the Magnuson Stevens Reauthorization Act," Heil said y after filing the lawsuit in Florida.  As legal counsel for the RFA, Heil said that the controversial management plan set forth by the Council and NMFS was clearly in violation of the federal fisheries law on a number of counts:

*  Illegally delegated authority from the Secretary of Commerce for approval of management plans down to a lower level NMFS employee.

*  Failed to comply with a Congressional mandate to replace the MRFSS system by January 2009 prior to enacting any new regulations.

* Used the old and discredited SEDAR 15 instead of the new benchmark SEDAR 24

* Closes 72 additional species of snapper/grouper.

* Closed only a portion of the South Atlantic off of Northeast Florida to bottom fishing, the area was reset at the last minute so as not to include any area where South Atlantic Council reside.

* Failed to do an economic study as required and failed to take into account the economic factors of the economy which has greatly reduced fishing pressure.

In an article in the Florida Times Union, Heil called the South East Data Assessment, and Review (SEDAR) process flawed, and explained that it's based on the same historical guessing game as earlier studies going back more than 60 years.

Heil said on Friday that the RFA would be amending an earlier complaint filed in federal court to overturn the regulations, explaining that NMFS was required to use the "best available science" in drafting regulations, which RFA claims is not happening, a clear violation of federal law.

To view the entire complaint officially filed in Federal District Court in Jacksonville, visit www.joinrfa.org/press/17Apermrulecomplaint.pdf.

source: RFA press release

MAFMC Calls for New Black Sea Bass Regulations in 2010

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and four of its Committees met in Duck, North Carolina from April 13 until April 15, 2010.

The Council voted to send a letter to NMFS, upon receipt of NMFS' black sea bass proposed rule, to support adoption of the ASMFC 2010 Black Sea Bass recreational measures of a 3.7 million pound total allowable landings (TAL), a 12.5" minimum fish size, a 25 fish possession limit, and a season of May 22 through September 12.

source: MAFMC