Fishing in United States

Every state runs its own licence system, and saltwater usually needs either a separate licence or enrolment in a free marine registry. Check the state, not the country.

9 researched spots — 5 Saltwater, 1 Fly Fishing, 3 Freshwater.

Licences and permits in United States

Fishing licences in the United States are issued by state fish and wildlife agencies, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is explicit that you need a licence from the state where the fishing happens and must meet that state's conditions. Most states sell online, by phone or through tackle shops and other retail agents, and most offer short-term non-resident options that suit a trip. Saltwater is where visitors most often go wrong: several states require a separate saltwater licence or enrolment in a marine registry on top of the freshwater one, and some species carry their own stamp or tag. Jurisdiction changes offshore too — state waters typically extend three nautical miles, and federal waters beyond that fall to NOAA Fisheries. Budget time for this before the trip rather than at the ramp.

When to fish in United States

The United States is wide enough that its fishing seasons barely overlap, and the spots we cover show it. Florida Keys tarpon are a spring and early-summer migration, roughly April to July, worked on moving tides. Alaska's Kenai runs to the salmon calendar instead: a first sockeye run in June, a heavier second run through July and August, then big rainbows in September and October as the salmon spawn. Montana's Madison is a hatch-driven trout river, with the salmonfly coming off in late June and July, caddis in the evenings and a brown trout run in autumn — and in hot summers the state can impose 'hoot owl' restrictions that close fishing in the afternoons. Louisiana's marsh peaks with the autumn bull redfish run from September to November.

What the fishing is like

The nine published US spots cover most of what American fishing is. Islamorada is Florida Keys flats fishing for tarpon, bonefish and permit — shallow, sight-fished and technical, and the advanced end of the list. Laguna Madre in Texas and Venice, Louisiana add redfish and speckled trout in very different water: a clear hypersaline lagoon for wading, and delta marsh that is the beginner-friendly option. Montauk and San Diego are the open-water saltwater trips, striped bass around the lighthouse rips and offshore tuna from Point Loma. Inland, the Kenai in Alaska is glacier-fed salmon water, the Columbia at Astoria is the estuary where chinook and coho stack up at Buoy 10, the Madison in Montana is classic Rocky Mountain trout water, and Lake St. Clair near Detroit is a big smallmouth and muskie lake.

Guides covering United States

  • Where to fish if you have never fished — Most of what gets written about these destinations assumes you already fish. This is the opposite list — real places, drawn straight from AnglerDeck's own spot pages, that are genuinely built for a first trip, plus a short list of what to save for later.
  • A year of fishing seasons, by country — Nineteen countries don't share one calendar — half run on the northern hemisphere's clock, some on the tropics' wet and dry seasons, a few on their own statutory closures entirely. This lays the year out month by month, so a trip gets planned around when a country actually fishes well, not just when it's convenient to fly.

Species you can target

  • black drum
  • bluefish
  • bonefish
  • brown trout
  • chinook salmon
  • dorado
  • false albacore
  • king salmon
  • muskellunge
  • permit
  • rainbow trout
  • redfish
  • smallmouth bass
  • snook
  • sockeye salmon
  • speckled trout
  • steelhead
  • striped bass
  • tarpon
  • walleye
  • white sturgeon
  • yellowfin tuna
  • yellowtail

Fishing spots in United States

  • Islamorada Tarpon Flats — Florida Keys, FL. Saltwater, Advanced. Target species: tarpon, bonefish, permit, snook.
  • Venice Marsh Redfish — Venice, LA. Saltwater, Beginner. Target species: redfish, speckled trout, yellowfin tuna.
  • Madison River — Ennis, MT. Fly Fishing, Intermediate. Target species: brown trout, rainbow trout.
  • Kenai River Salmon — Soldotna, AK. Freshwater, Intermediate. Target species: king salmon, sockeye salmon, rainbow trout.
  • Montauk Striped Bass — Montauk, NY. Saltwater, Intermediate. Target species: striped bass, bluefish, false albacore.
  • Lake St. Clair — Detroit, MI. Freshwater, Beginner. Target species: smallmouth bass, muskellunge, walleye.
  • Lower Laguna Madre — Port Mansfield, TX. Saltwater, Intermediate. Target species: redfish, speckled trout, black drum.
  • San Diego Offshore — San Diego, CA. Saltwater, Advanced. Target species: yellowfin tuna, yellowtail, dorado.
  • Columbia River Buoy 10 — Astoria, OR/WA. Freshwater, Intermediate. Target species: chinook salmon, steelhead, white sturgeon.

Official sources

Licence requirements and closed seasons change regularly. Always confirm with the relevant fisheries authority before you fish — each spot page links to its source.

Fishing regulations and licences by country · Fishing guides · View the fishing map