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

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

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 NOAA USA Recreational Fishing Statistics (saltwater)

striped bass

According to this year's NOAA Fisheries' Fisheries of the United States report, U.S. recreational saltwater anglers caught an estimated 371.6 million fish in 2016.

The total catch includes fish kept and fish released (discarded) on the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts (including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico).

The harvest (fish kept or released dead) was estimated at 144.6 million fish weighing 181.6 million pounds.

2016 Top Saltwater Fish Species by Pounds Harvested

Striped bass: 20 million pounds - 1.6 million fish
Dolphinfish 11 million pounds - 1.2 million fish
Bluefish 10 million pounds - 4.6 million fish
Yellowfin tuna 9 million pounds - 0.3 million fish
Sharks 3 million pounds - 0.2 million fish

Saltwater anglers took approximately 63.1 million fishing trips, according to the report.

Fisheries of the United States is an annual yearbook of U.S. fisheries statistics.

For more information, visit:
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/document/fisheries-united-states-2016-report


source: NOAA Fisheries

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

2015 North Carolina Recreational Saltwater Fishing Statistics

According to recent statistics from the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (NC DMF), recreational saltwater catches increased in 2015. 

Anglers in North Carolina brought an estimated 10.2 million fish to the docks in 2015, an increase of 6.8 percent over 2014. The estimated weight of these landings rose by 32 percent to 11.6 million pounds. Anglers released 6 percent more fish, compared to 2014.

In terms of pounds landed dockside, the top five recreational species for 2015 were dolphin, bluefish, yellowfin tuna, cobia and wahoo.

The number of dolphin taken increased by 132 percent over the previous year to 430,296 fish (3.2 million pounds), the highest since 2011.

Anglers landed 19,284 wahoo weighing 534,787 pounds, a 66 percent increase.

Cobia harvests totaled 15,875 fish weighing 675,859 pounds, the highest since 2013. The average weight of the cobia nearly doubled from 2014.

Anglers brought 10.7 percent fewer yellowfin tuna to the docks; 24,205 fish weighing approximately 723,127 pounds.

NC DMF speculates that dolphin, wahoo and cobia harvests may have increased as a result of an absence of yellowfin tuna.

Recreational harvests of bluefish decreased by 16 percent to 911,983 fish (769,262 pounds).

Spotted seatrout harvests for 2015 were estimated to be the lowest on record. The low catches follow back to back cold stuns in 2013 and 2014.

NC DMF closed spotted seatrout harvest Feb. 5 to June 15 in 2014 to allow the fish that survive the cold stun event the maximum chance to spawn in the spring.

Another possible factor may have been the abnormal amount of rainfall in eastern North Carolina in the fall and winter of 2015 that flushed the creeks with freshwater, causing fish to move to higher salinities.

Despite low spotted seatrout harvests in 2015, estimates of recreational released catch (undersized) were at near record levels.

For a full landings report, visit http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/marine-fisheries-catch-statistics.

source: North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries

2013 North Carolina Recreational Fishing Statistics

Recreational fishermen in North Carolina landed approximately 11.6 million fish, weighing about 13.3 million pounds in 2013, a 10 percent increase in pounds over 2012, according to the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries' Coastal Angling Program.

Yellowfin tuna was the number one recreationally-harvested fish for the 2013 fishing season. Anglers caught 2 million pounds of yellowfin tuna (62,110 fish) in 2013. Dolphin came in second with 2 million pounds (248,987 fish), followed by bluefish at 971,279 pounds (1.2 million fish), red drum, 682,964 pounds (166,608 fish) and spotted seatrout, 652,102 pounds (369,500).

The 2013 recreational red drum harvest of 682,964 pounds (166,608 fish) was the highest on record.

Recreational spot landings doubled to 462,884 pounds (1.5 million fish) in 2013.

Sheepshead harvest increased by 70 percent to 497,616 pounds (272,709 fish).

Southern flounder harvest increased 37 percent to 408,642 pounds (177,742 fish).

The number of fish angler’s released back into the water grew to about 21 million in 2013, about a 13 percent increase over 2012.

The number of recreational fishing trips in 2013 dropped by 6 percent to about 5 million. Anglers took about 28 percent fewer trips than 10 years ago.

For a full landings report, see the 2013 Annual Fisheries Bulletin at http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/marine-fisheries-catch-statistics.

source: N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries

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