Celebrate National Fishing and Boating Week with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service!

Kayaking the Charles River. Photo by Lamar Gore/USFWS.

National Fishing and Boating Week (June 5 — June 13, 2021) is a great time to learn to fish, reconnect with your kayak, and enjoy the water with friends and family.

Last year more than 55 million people turned to fishing as a safe respite from the screens and stresses of the year — the highest number in over a decade. Here are some great ways you can celebrate National Fishing and Boating Week with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service!

Family fishing day at Patuxent National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Nell Baldacchino/USFWS.

Go fishing at a National Wildlife Refuge or National Fish Hatchery.

Fishing is available at 376 national wildlife refuges, 21 national fish hatcheries, and other U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-managed lands and waters. Find places to fish near you using our interactive fishing map. You can plan your next fishing trip at www.fws.gov/fishing!

Photo by Federico Giampieri on Unsplash

Learn to fish 🎣.

You don’t need a ton of gear to start fishing. Check out our beginner’s fishing guide to get started fishing responsibly. The National Fish Hatchery System works with states and tribes to stock over 98 million fish every year to support both recreational fishing and endangered species restoration.

Here’s some of our favorite fishing tips from the experts who raise them.

A young angler shows off his catch with his parents by his side at Pendills Creek National Fish Hatchery. Photo by Katie Steiger Meister/USFWS

Join #TeamPublicLands!

Public lands enrich our lives in so many ways — stress relief, improved health, and fun experiences with friends and family. We can help give back to them by joining #TeamPublicLands and recreating responsibly.

The most important thing you can do to protect wildlife and habitat when fishing and boating is prevent the spread of invasive plants and animals. Whenever you leave the water, follow Clean. Drain. Dry. Dispose!

You can protect your waterways by cleaning, draining, and drying your gear every time you leave the water. Photos L — R: Kayaking the Los Angeles River by Ian Shive USFWS; Cleaning off a boat in Glacier National Park by NPS; Draining a boat by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

🚿CLEAN off visible aquatic plants, animals, and mud from all equipment before leaving water access — including hulls, interiors, and motors.

💧DRAIN motors, bilge, livewells, and other water containing devices before leaving water access.

🌵DRY everything for five days OR wipe with a towel.

🗑️DISPOSE of unwanted bait, fish parts, and packing materials, in the trash; never dump live fish or other organisms from one water body into another.

Visit https://stopaquatichitchhikers.org/ for more tips!

A person hold a rainbow trout underwater. Photo by USFWS.

Purchase a fishing license!

Buying a fishing license is quick, easy and directly contributes toward conservation efforts. In most states, licenses can be purchased online, by phone or at retail establishments.

Go Fishing. Catch the Fun!

Fishing and boating support conservation.

Whenever you go out fishing or boating you are helping to conserve these incredible resources for everyone. Anglers contribute billions of dollars to conservation through revenues from licenses and excise taxes on sport fishing tackle, some boat engines, and small engine fuel.

At the Neosho National Fish Hatchery, USGS and USFWS staff use ultrasound and endoscope technology to study endangered pallid sturgeon. Photo by USFWS.

Since 1952, more than $8 billion in Sport Fish Restoration Program grant funds have been distributed to state agencies for conservation projects. This money goes to support fish management, species and habitat restoration, habitat protection, land acquisition, research, education, and public access for fishing and boating.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the premier government agency dedicated to the conservation, protection, and enhancement of fish, wildlife and plants, and their habitats. Since 1871, we have been working to keep America’s fisheries safe, healthy, and productive for the American people.

Written by Holly Richards, Fish Enthusiast / Outreach Specialist for the Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program.