Louisiana Moves to Top 10 for 2026 Best Fishing States

FishingBooker released the results of its 2026 Best Fishing States Index, the fourth annual nationwide analysis of recreational fishing performance across all 50 US states.

Louisiana climbed back to the top 10 nationwide, finishing 6th overall after ranking 13th last year.

FishingBooker shares that the state’s return was fueled by its exceptional natural geography and strong value for anglers, particularly across its vast and productive inshore waters.

2026 Best Fishing States: Louisiana #6

Louisiana earned 113 total points in FishingBooker’s 2026 US Fishing Index. What drove Louisiana’s return:

• Outstanding geography score – marshes, bayous and the Mississippi River Delta create one of the most productive inshore fisheries in the country
• Strong financial accessibility – one of the most cost-effective top-10 states for anglers
• Maximum scores in both saltwater and freshwater participation (10/10 each)
• Highly competitive resident license fees

The one area with room to grow: Louisiana’s facilities category trailed several other top-10 states, but Louisiana’s natural fishing quality more than compensated.

Criteria for 2026 Best Fishing States

“Our extensive research of the US’s fishing opportunities was based on 17 different criteria. Out of these, five criteria were based on FishingBooker’s internal data from hundreds of thousands of fishing trips, reviews and reports, as well as our industry research,” said Adriana, a writer for FishingBooker. “The remaining 12 criteria come from publicly available data sources. Once we established the criteria, we grouped them into four separate categories.”

The Top 10 States in the 2026 US Fishing Index

1. Florida
2. Maryland
3. Michigan
4. North Carolina (tie)
5. South Carolina (tie)
6. Louisiana
7. Texas
8. Massachusetts
9. New York
10. Wisconsin

Now in its fourth year (2023–2026), the US Fishing Index has become FishingBooker’s annual benchmark for evaluating where anglers are having the best experiences nationwide.

Adriana also shared the following:

• The states with the biggest ranking gains compared to 2025 are
  • Texas (up 23 spots, from 30th to 7th)
  • Massachusetts (up 13 spots, from 21st to 8th)
  • New York (up 14 spots, from 23rd to 9th)
  • Iowa (up 23 spots, from 46th to 23rd)
• The states with the biggest ranking drops compared to 2025 are
  • Alaska (down 14 spots, from 1st to 15th)
  • Oklahoma (down 19 spots, from 13th to 32nd)
  • Illinois (down 12 spots, from 15th to 27th)