2022 Saltwater Fishing Statistics - NOAA FUS Report

Scup

In November, NOAA Fisheries released its 2022 Fisheries of the United States (FUS) report.

2022 U.S. Recreational Fishing Highlights

According to the report, U.S. anglers took more than 200 million trips in 2022, catching an estimated 1.1 billion fish and releasing 61 percent of those caught.

In 2022, U.S. anglers harvested approximately 437 million fish with a combined weight of 356.2 million pounds.

By weight, striped bass was the top species harvested, with anglers harvesting 35.9 million pounds (3.5 million fish) in 2022.

By number of fish, scup was the top species harvested, with anglers harvesting 17.7 million fish in 2022.

Spotted seatrout was the top species in terms of total catch (harvested and released fish), with anglers catching 55 million fish.

Fisheries of the United States provides a snapshot of data, primarily at the national level, on U.S. commercial fisheries landings and value and recreational catch.

Produced in various forms for more than 100 years, Fisheries of the United States is the NOAA Fisheries yearbook of fishery statistics for the United States.

Together with Status of the Stocks and Fisheries Economics of the United States, the report provides information related to saltwater fishing and seafood. 

In April, NOAA fisheries released Fisheries Economics of the United States, 2002.

Related Information

2020 Saltwater Fishing Statistics - NOAA FUS Report

2022 Saltwater Fishing Statistics - NOAA FEUS Report

In April, NOAA fisheries released Fisheries Economics of the United States, 2002.

The report is the 17th volume in this annual series, and the first in this shorter format, and covers the years 2013 to 2022.

The annual Fisheries Economics of the United States (FEUS) report provides details regarding contributions of U.S. fisheries to the nation's economy.

The report contains a variety of information related to recreational saltwater fishing in the USA, including economic impacts of recreational fishing, saltwater angler expenditures, recreational fishing catch, effort, and participation rates, regional management, and other topics.

The annual FEUS report is one of three produced each year on the status of national marine fisheries. The other two reports are: Status of Stocks and Fisheries of the United States.

The short format FEUS report is accompanied by a new NOAA Fisheries new data tool - Fisheries One Stop Shop (FOSS).

The following are a few details from the report.

Recreational Economic Impacts

Economic impacts from recreational fishing activities supported 691,613 jobs across the United States in 2022, an increase of 8 percent relative to 2021.

Recreational fishing also generated about $138 billion in sales impacts, $45.1 billion in income impacts, and $74.9 billion in value added impacts.

Across the United States, impacts from durable equipment expenditures (e.g., rods and reels, fishing-related equipment, boats, and vehicles) accounted for 80 percent of total job impacts, 81 percent of sales impacts, 83 percent of income impacts, and 81 percent of value added impacts.

In 2022, recreational anglers in West Florida had the highest total expenditures on trips ($3.4 billion) and took the most trips (40.3 million trips).

East Florida anglers had the second highest expenditures on trips ($1.6 billion) and took 35.3 million trips.

The impacts from trip expenditures were highest in West Florida with 29 thousand jobs and $3.9 billion in sales.

North Carolina had the second-most jobs and sales (12 thousand and $1.6 billion, respectively), followed by East Florida with 9 thousand jobs and $1.4 billion in sales.

The Gulf of Mexico Region had the highest recreational trip expenditures in the United States, $5.1 billion, and the most recreational trip activity, 55.2 million trips.

Recreational Harvest and Release Statistics

In 2022, seatrout (Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico) (70.1 million fish), striped bass (Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico) (33.5 million fish), and summer flounder (Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico) (29 million fish) were the most frequently caught key species by recreational fishermen in the United States.

From 2013 to 2022, red snapper (Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico) (37%), striped bass (Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico) (4%), and tunas (Pacific and Western Pacific) (2%) had the largest increases.

Dolphinfish (Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Western Pacific) (-58%), Pacific salmon (North Pacific and Pacific) (-38%), and summer flounder (Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico) (-35%) had the largest decreases.

From 2021 to 2022, red snapper (Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico) (32%), summer flounder (Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico) (28%), and seatrout (Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico) (14%) had the largest increases.

Dolphinfish (Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Western Pacific) (-29%), tunas (Pacific and Western Pacific) (-25%), and Pacific salmon (North Pacific and Pacific) (-17%) had the largest decreases.

New Jersey caught the most summer flounder (13.5 million fish) and striped bass (7.8 million fish).

West Florida caught the most seatrout (22.8 million fish) and red snapper (5.4 million fish).

Alaska caught the most Pacific halibut (540,297 fish) and Pacific salmon (926,775 fish).

Key Recreational Species

• Dolphinfish (Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Western Pacific)

• Pacific halibut (North Pacific)

• Pacific salmon (North Pacific and Pacific)

• Red snapper (Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico)

• Rockfishes and scorpionfishes (Pacific and North Pacific)

• Seatrout (Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico)

• Striped bass (Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico)

• Summer flounder (Atlantic and Gulf of  Mexico)

• Tunas (Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico)

• Tunas (Pacific and Western Pacific)

source: National Marine Fisheries Service. 2024. Fisheries Economics of the United States, 2022.

U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-F/SPO-248, 28 p.

Related Information

2020 U.S. Saltwater Fishing Statistics

USA Fishing Statistics 2016 (commercial and recreational fisheries)

Commercial and recreational fisheries provide important economic impacts to the U.S economy, according to a recently released NOAA Fisheries report (Fisheries Economics of the United States, 2016).

In 2016, commercial and recreational fisheries throughout the United States generated approximately 1.7 million jobs in the U.S. economy.

In addition, commercial and recreational fishing together generated $212.2 billion in sales impacts, $64.2 billion in income impacts, and $99.5 billion in value-added impacts throughout the economy.

Florida had the largest employment impacts from the combined fishing industry, with approximately 173,000 jobs.

Florida also had the largest sales impacts from the combined fishing industry ($27.8 billion), the largest income impacts ($7.3 billion), and the largest value-added impacts ($12.2 billion).

Fisheries Economics of the United States 2016 is the 11th volume in an annual series designed to give the public accessible economic information on fishing and seafood in the U.S., and is a companion to Fisheries of the United States.

The annual Fisheries Economics of the United States report provides economic information related to U.S. commercial and recreational fishing activities and fishing-related industries on a state, regional, and national basis.

For more information, visit: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/content/fisheries-economics-united-states-2016

source: NOAA Fisheries

Related Information

2016 Saltwater Fishing Statistics (Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation)

2016 Saltwater Fishing Statistics

The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) recently released of its 2017 Special Report on Fishing.

The report includes statistics about participation, entry barriers, motivating factors, angler preferences, and other aspects of fishing.

USA Fishing Facts:

Overall, fishing participation increased in 2016, up by 1.8%, or by 1.5 million participants, since the previous year and reaching the highest participation rate since 2012.

Consistent with past years, freshwater fishing was the most popular form of fishing.

Saltwater fishing was the second most popular type of fishing, engaging 4.1% of the U.S. population, or 12.3 million people.

Saltwater fishing participation increased by 300,000 participants in 2016.

Fly fishing, the least popular of the fishing types, grew even more from 2015 to 2016, adding 400,000 additional participants.

The Special Report on Fishing is the product of a partnership between RBFF and the Outdoor Foundation. The full report is available in the RBFF Resource Center.

source: Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation

2012 USA Recreational Fishing Statistics

Almost 9.4 million recreational saltwater anglers in the United States took more than 70 million marine fishing trips in 2012, according to the NOAA Fisheries report entitled "Fisheries of the United States 2012."

The annual report estimates that U.S. anglers caught 380 million fish in 2012, releasing approximately 63 percent alive.

Spotted seatrout was the top catch for recreational anglers, with 42.6 million fish caught in 2012. Atlantic croaker, black sea bass, summer flounder and red drum were the other most common catches for saltwater anglers.

source: NOAA Fisheries