Press Releases

Take Me Fishing™ Reels In Summer With Reveal of 2015 Top 100 Family-Friendly Places to Fish and Boat in the U.S.
All Are Encouraged to Get On The Water and Land Their #FirstCatch During National Fishing and Boating Week, June 6 – 14
Top Places to Fish and Boat Infographic
America's Top Family-Friendly Places to Fish and Boat

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:

  • The Everglades – ranked number five last year – was joined by four of its fellow Floridians in the top 10 list this year; the state held the same number of top 10 spots as last year. 
  • In addition to Florida, other states that appeared in the top 10 two years in a row are California and Texas. 
  • Pennsylvania only appeared in the top 10 once last year, but the state secured three spots on the coveted short list in 2015! 
  • In fact, Pennsylvania tied with Florida and California in having the most appearances on the list, as each state appeared seven times.

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:

  • #FirstCatch: Create and capture moments fishing with family and friends, then share them with others online using #FirstCatch. #FirstCatch is Take Me Fishing’s initiative to create a common platform for people to come together and revel in the joys of fishing and boating by sharing their first fishing and boating memories – first catch of the day, first fish of the season or even the first catch of a lifetime.
  • Free Fishing Days: Perfect for those who are new to the sport or who want to mentor others, most states offer Free Fishing Days that allow the public to fish without having to purchase a fishing license.
  • Conservation through Participation: Buying a fishing license and registering a boat helps fund efforts to conserve our natural waterways through projects such as fisheries research, habitat improvement, fish stocking, aquatic education and fishing and boating access facilities such as docks and boat ramps.
  • Special Events: Sites all over the country will host events, such as fishing derbies, regattas, boating demonstrations, festivals and more.
  • Kids’ Activities: TakeMeFishing.org’s Little Lunkers section offers games and information to learn before getting out on the water, and even certificates to commemorate their catch.

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.

For further information: Stephanie Vatalaro, 703-778-5156, svatalaro@rbff.org

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