Fishing license data reported for state
News Release
Captain Experiences, a fishing and hunting guide reservation platform, has released a new
report looking at the top U.S. states for fishing tourism. That research data reflects license sales
from 2022 and indicates Mississippi generated nearly $2 million in annual fishing license
revenue from non-residents.
In most cases, travelers must obtain a non-resident fishing license to go fishing out-of-state.
From the late 1960s through the 1980s, the share of annual state fishing licenses held by non-
residents remained steady at 15% or less each year.
However, since the 1990s, that figure has increased: after a brief decline due to COVID-19, the
proportion of licenses held by non-residents spiked to a record-setting 22.3% in 2022, or nearly
9.4 million total.
This rise in non-resident licenses not only represents steady growth in the fishing tourism
industry, but also a boon for wildlife conservation and management. Licenses are usually sold
by the state’s wildlife department, and the revenue provides funding for conservation and wildlife
restoration programs.
Additionally, like other forms of tourism, travelers from out of state support fishing destinations’
economies by patronizing local businesses: in 2022, recreational fishing directly and indirectly
supported more than 690,000 jobs and generated nearly $138 billion in local business sales
across the country.
Here are the key takeaways from the report for Mississippi:
● During the study period, Mississippi generated $1,928,031 in annual fishing
license revenue from non-residents.
● This accounted for 30.5% of the state’s fishing license revenue that year.
● In total, Mississippi issued 72,959 annual fishing licenses to non-residents in
2022.
News Release
Captain Experiences, a fishing and hunting guide reservation platform, has released a new
report looking at the top U.S. states for fishing tourism. That research data reflects license sales
from 2022 and indicates Mississippi generated nearly $2 million in annual fishing license
revenue from non-residents.
In most cases, travelers must obtain a non-resident fishing license to go fishing out-of-state.
From the late 1960s through the 1980s, the share of annual state fishing licenses held by non-
residents remained steady at 15% or less each year.
However, since the 1990s, that figure has increased: after a brief decline due to COVID-19, the
proportion of licenses held by non-residents spiked to a record-setting 22.3% in 2022, or nearly
9.4 million total.
This rise in non-resident licenses not only represents steady growth in the fishing tourism
industry, but also a boon for wildlife conservation and management. Licenses are usually sold
by the state’s wildlife department, and the revenue provides funding for conservation and wildlife
restoration programs.
Additionally, like other forms of tourism, travelers from out of state support fishing destinations’
economies by patronizing local businesses: in 2022, recreational fishing directly and indirectly
supported more than 690,000 jobs and generated nearly $138 billion in local business sales
across the country.
Here are the key takeaways from the report for Mississippi:
● During the study period, Mississippi generated $1,928,031 in annual fishing
license revenue from non-residents.
● This accounted for 30.5% of the state’s fishing license revenue that year.
● In total, Mississippi issued 72,959 annual fishing licenses to non-residents in
2022.