Iowa saw a notable increase in fishing license sales last year, and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is hoping to see that trend continue through 2021. Jeff Kopaska, a DNR technology and data management researcher, says overall sales spiked nearly 30 percent in the early stages of the pandemic and finished the year with over 320,000 resident licenses sold, which is 70,000 more than the prior year. Kopaska tracks multiple variables in the data, including how often people buy their fishing licenses. He says numbers have been remarkably consistent over the past 20 years with 65 percent of anglers buying a license annually, 15 percent buying their first one and the remaining 20 percent purchasing it intermittently.
Kopaska adds the percent of anglers buying their license for the first time held steady at 15 percent, but because so many licenses were sold in 2020 this category also appreciably increased. Anecdotal evidence suggests Iowans’ interest in fishing held steady through the winter, but specific numbers are not available due to a pause on creel surveys due to the pandemic. Ben Wallace, the DNR fisheries biologist stationed at Black Hawk Lake in Sac County, says their main question as they head into the spring and summer is if they can continue this trend.
Wallace adds coronavirus activity will be the main variable. As vaccines are distributed and the population nears herd immunity, more recreational opportunities will open up. If some of the more traditional summertime activities are not an option, he expects fishing to remain popular. Kopaska says two seemingly unrelated factors influence fishing license sales from year to year, and both suggest more anglers will be out on the water.
The other variable is the economy, particularly in the construction sector. Kopaska says new housing and industrial projects are at pretty average levels, so many workers should have enough free time to enjoy fishing. Licenses for 2021 are available now and can be obtained at over 700 locations in the state or through the DNR’s mobile app. More information on purchasing a license can be found included below.
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https://www.iowadnr.gov/fishing/buy-your-license
