Along the West Coast, salmon and trout are threads in the cultural fabric. They have sustained Native Tribes, fueled the economies of entire towns, and sparked wonder in countless anglers. They have even found their way into thousands of schools. Through state fish and wildlife agency salmon and trout in the classroom programs, students are rolling up their sleeves and becoming fish stewards.
In this season of gratitude, we give thanks for another year outdoors, for time well spent with loved ones, for meals gathered from the land and waters we all share, and for the generations of foresight that made this abundance possible.
With funding from the Sport Fish Restoration Act, Virginia DWR has been collecting data and building one of the most expansive long-term snakehead research repositories to understand how the non-native fish are interacting with Virginia fish communities. The species has established itself in creeks, rivers, and even reservoirs through illegal introductions.
In California’s Central Valley, along the Merced River, the low rumble of bulldozers signals renewal. Crews are returning clean, sorted gravel to the riverbed, rebuilding spawning habitat that salmon and steelhead have relied on for thousands of years.
Established in 1972, National Hunting and Fishing Day is a reminder of how hunters and anglers helped build the foundation of modern wildlife management in America. Outdoor pursuits like hunting and fishing, away from the hum of traffic and the grind of full calendars, connect people with nature. And this connection carries with it a responsibility.
Beneath the Atlantic surface, concrete pyramids, stripped subway cars, and massive steel skeletons of vessels lie purposefully placed across the ocean floor repurposed into bustling undersea metropolises. These are artificial reefs, human-made sanctuaries giving new life to marine ecosystems and new opportunities for anglers.
Six feet in length and tipping the scales at over 200 pounds, adult lake sturgeon once swam the tributaries of the Great Lakes in great seasonal spawning migrations—prehistoric giants returning home. A century ago, rivers ran thick with them. But their numbers fell as water fouled, dams rose, and populations were overfished.
Hawaiʻi is a space where culture, nature, and sustainability are woven together. At the heart of this connection is the ancient Hawaiian concept of living pono — a word that translates to righteous or proper. In the context of fishing, pono is a way of life that speaks to a deep responsibility to respect and protect natural resources that have nourished the islands for generations. Across the Hawaiian Islands, Sport Fish Restoration funds are being used to support fisheries and foster the principles of pono fishing.
This year, the Sport Fish Restoration Act turns 75. This milestone marks three-quarters of a century ensuring that sport fish populations and aquatic habitats are healthy, sustainable, and accessible for all. No other funding method has had the same longevity, consistency, and significance for fisheries management in the United States.
The Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) in Athens, Texas, is a hub of aquatic education, fish production, and conservation in the Lone Star State. Since opening in 1996, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) facility has drawn over 1.1 million visitors, offering an in-depth look at the diverse world of Texas’ freshwater ecosystems and how state agencies manage fisheries resources.
Cutthroat trout are the only trout native to Utah, but not that long ago the state’s iconic cutthroats were in jeopardy of disappearing. Thanks to conservation measures supported in part by Sport Fish Restoration funds, Utah’s four cutthroat subspecies have made a remarkable comeback.
Muskie are commonly thought of as a fish of the North, the Great Lakes states, reservoirs and mid to large streams in the Ohio and upper Mississippi river basins. And North Carolina, well not so much—unless you live and fish there.
