ALEXANDRIA, VA (June 1, 2015) – The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) and its Take Me Fishing™ campaign today unveiled the 2015 Top 100 Family-Friendly Places to Fish and Boat, which ranks Florida’s Everglades National Park as the No. 1 place to fish and boat in the U.S.! The Top 100 list is being released just in time to celebrate National Fishing and Boating Week, June 6 – 14.
“Fishing and boating are great ways to spend time with family and friends; and most people aren’t even aware that by participating in the sport, they’re actually helping to conserve our environment,” said RBFF President and CEO, Frank Peterson. “We’re encouraging outdoor enthusiasts across the country to pick a park on our Top 100 list, get out on the water with family and friends and create lifelong memories during National Fishing and Boating Week.”
As part of a sweepstakes, anglers and boaters cast more than 280,000 votes online to help develop the 2015 list of Top 100 Family-Friendly Places to Fish and Boat. The criteria for the Top 100 included having a public body of water within an hour of a major city, good fishing opportunities, and family-friendly amenities.
Who Reeled In The Top 10 Spots:
1. Everglades National Park, FL
2. Bahia Honda State Park, Big Pine Key, FL
3. Blue Springs State Park, Orange City, FL
4. Kissimmee State Park, Lake Wales, FL
5. Keystone State Park, Derry, PA
6. Clear Lake State Park, Kelseyville, CA
7. Skyway Fishing Pier State Park, St Petersburg, FL
8. Galveston Island State Park, Galveston, TX
9. Presque Isle State Park, Erie, PA
10. Lackawanna State Park, North Abington, PA
Further Fishing Facts:
People are encouraged to celebrate National Fishing and Boating Week, June 6 – 14, by visiting their local parks and other fishing spots, perhaps one of the Top 100. Here are some other ways to celebrate:
For additional details on National Fishing and Boating Week, including your state’s Free Fishing Days, visit TakeMeFishing.org. The site, along with its Spanish language counterpart, VamosAPescar.org, is a one-stop resource for fishing license and boat registration information, fishing and boating locations nationwide and ‘how-to’ information to help plan fishing and boating adventures. Both sites give people of all ages and experience levels everything they need to learn, plan and equip for a successful day on the water.
About the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF)
RBFF is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase participation in recreational angling and boating, thereby protecting and restoring the nation’s aquatic natural resources. RBFF developed the award-winning Take Me Fishing™ and Vamos A Pescar™ campaigns to create awareness around boating, fishing and conservation, and educate people about the benefits of participation. Take Me Fishing and Vamos A Pescar help boaters and anglers of all ages and experience levels learn, plan and equip for a day on the water. The campaign websites, TakeMeFishing.org, and VamosAPescar.org, feature how-to videos, information on how to get a fishing license and boat registration, and an interactive state-by-state map that allows visitors to find local boating and fishing spots.