(Area) Fishing license sales took a sharp increase in 2020.
One in every ten Iowans has a fishing license which is something the DNR is encouraged by. “If you look at our fishing license sales in 2020 you would say we had a good year.”
Fisheries Biologist Bryan Hayes reports 389,000 licenses were sold. “330,000 resident licenses and 56,000 non-resident licenses sold in the state. That’s a pretty good increase from what we normally sell for fishing licenses.” That compares to 306,000 in 2018 and 310,000 in 2019.
Hayes has no doubt the increase was tied to COVID-19. “People took advantage of the fishing we have available out there and used it as a way to stay active and spend some quality time with family. It just provided an important escape.”
Hayes says thousands of the license sales were for first time anglers and now the challenge for the Fisheries Department is to retain them through providing good access and quality fishing.
