Every state but two sets aside at least one day a year when nobody needs a fishing licence. The lists of those days that circulate online are copied from one another, and copying is how they go wrong: a January date a day off, last year’s dates presented as this year’s, and no mention that in eight states the day is for residents only. This page was built the slow way. Each of the 50 entries below was read on the agency’s own site, or in the statute where the agency does not publish it, and carries the link and the date we read it. Where the agency defines the day as a rule — “the first Saturday in June” — we calculate it for 2026 rather than copy a date that will be wrong next year.
Coming up
Free fishing days in the next 60 days, computed today from the rules and dates below.
The year at a glance
How many states have a free fishing day in each month of 2026. June is the month, because National Fishing and Boating Week falls in its first full week and most states hang their day on it. The January and February entries are ice-fishing weekends in the north; the November ones ride on Thanksgiving.
Every state
The next free day is computed from today. “Days” counts each calendar day of a multi-day window, so a Friday-to-Sunday weekend counts three. Click a state for the full entry.
| State | Next free day | Days in 2026 | Who | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Saturday, June 12 (2027) | 1 | Residents and visitors | Fresh and salt |
| Alaska | No free day | — | — | — |
| Arizona | Saturday, June 5 (2027) | 1 | Residents and visitors | Freshwater |
| Arkansas | 2027 dates not yet published | 3 | Residents and visitors | Freshwater |
| California | Sunday, July 4 (2027) | 2 | Residents and visitors | Fresh and salt |
| Colorado | Saturday–Sunday, June 5–6 (2027) | 2 | Residents and visitors | Freshwater |
| Connecticut | 2027 dates not yet published | 3 | Residents and visitors | Fresh and salt |
| Delaware | Saturday–Sunday, June 5–6 (2027) | 2 | Residents and visitors | Fresh and salt |
| Florida | Saturday, November 28 | 8 | Residents and visitors | Fresh and salt |
| Georgia | Saturday, September 26 | 3 | Residents only | Freshwater |
| Hawaii | No free day | — | — | — |
| Idaho | Saturday, June 12 (2027) | 1 | Residents and visitors | Freshwater |
| Illinois | 2027 dates not yet published | 4 | Residents and visitors | Freshwater |
| Indiana | Saturday, September 26 | 4 | Residents only | Freshwater |
| Iowa | 2027 dates not yet published | 3 | Residents only | Freshwater |
| Kansas | 2027 dates not yet published | 2 | Residents and visitors | Freshwater |
| Kentucky | Saturday–Sunday, June 5–6 (2027) | 2 | Residents and visitors | Freshwater |
| Louisiana | Saturday–Sunday, June 5–6 (2027) | 2 | Residents and visitors | Fresh and salt |
| Maine | 2027 dates not yet published | 4 | Residents and visitors | Freshwater |
| Maryland | Saturday, June 5 (2027) | 3 | Residents and visitors | Fresh and salt |
| Massachusetts | Saturday–Sunday, June 5–6 (2027) | 2 | Residents and visitors | Freshwater |
| Michigan | 2027 dates not yet published | 4 | Residents and visitors | Fresh and salt |
| Minnesota | 2027 dates not yet published | 6 | Residents fishing with a child | Freshwater |
| Mississippi | Saturday–Sunday, June 5–6 (2027) | 3 | Residents only | Freshwater |
| Missouri | Saturday–Sunday, June 12–13 (2027) | 2 | Residents and visitors | Freshwater |
| Montana | Saturday–Sunday, May 8–9 (2027) | 4 | Residents and visitors | Freshwater |
| Nebraska | Saturday, May 22 (2027) | 1 | Residents and visitors | Freshwater |
| Nevada | Saturday, June 12 (2027) | 1 | Residents and visitors | Freshwater |
| New Hampshire | Saturday, January 16 (2027) | 2 | Residents and visitors | Fresh and salt |
| New Jersey | Saturday, September 26 | 2 | Residents and visitors | Freshwater |
| New Mexico | Saturday–Sunday, September 26–27 | 4 | Residents and visitors | Freshwater |
| New York | Saturday, September 26 | 6 | Residents and visitors | Freshwater |
| North Carolina | Sunday, July 4 (2027) | 1 | Residents and visitors | Fresh and salt |
| North Dakota | Saturday–Sunday, December 26–27 | 4 | Residents only | Freshwater |
| Ohio | 2027 dates not yet published | 2 | Residents only | Freshwater |
| Oklahoma | Saturday–Sunday, June 5–6 (2027) | 2 | Residents and visitors | Freshwater |
| Oregon | Friday–Saturday, November 27–28 | 6 | Residents and visitors | Fresh and salt |
| Pennsylvania | Sunday, May 30 (2027) | 2 | Residents and visitors | Freshwater |
| Rhode Island | 2027 dates not yet published | 2 | Residents and visitors | Freshwater |
| South Carolina | Monday, May 31 (2027) | 2 | Residents only | Freshwater |
| South Dakota | 2027 dates not yet published | 3 | Residents and visitors | Freshwater |
| Tennessee | Saturday, June 5 (2027) | 1 | Residents and visitors | Freshwater |
| Texas | Saturday, June 5 (2027) | 1 | Residents and visitors | Fresh and salt |
| Utah | Saturday, June 5 (2027) | 1 | Residents and visitors | Freshwater |
| Vermont | Saturday, June 12 (2027) | 2 | Residents and visitors | Freshwater |
| Virginia | 2027 dates not yet published | 3 | Residents and visitors | Freshwater |
| Washington | Saturday–Sunday, June 5–6 (2027) | 2 | Residents and visitors | Fresh and salt |
| West Virginia | 2027 dates not yet published | 2 | Residents and visitors | Freshwater |
| Wisconsin | Saturday–Sunday, January 16–17 (2027) | 4 | Residents and visitors | Freshwater |
| Wyoming | Saturday, June 5 (2027) | 1 | Residents and visitors | Freshwater |
State by state
Each entry gives the dates, who they apply to, what the state waives and what it still requires, with the agency page we read. Where the day is defined as a rule it is marked as calculated; where the agency publishes a date for the year, it is marked with the year.
Alabama
- Saturday, June 13 — Free Fishing Daycalculated from the rule
Waived: Freshwater and saltwater licences and the reef fish endorsement.
Still required: State Public Fishing Lakes still require a permit, and some piers charge.
One Saturday, fresh and salt, for residents and visitors alike.
Source: Outdoor Alabama, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Alabama fishing licence. Season dates: Alabama fishing seasons.
Alaska
No free fishing day. Residents under 18 and non-residents under 16 need no licence at any time, and that is the only exemption — ADF&G requires a licence even at its own free fishing events.
Source: ADF&G, read 2026-09-15. Season dates: Alaska fishing seasons.
Arizona
- Saturday, June 6 — Free Fishing Daycalculated from the rule
Waived: The fishing licence at state waters and community lakes.
Children under 10 fish free all year regardless.
Source: AZGFD, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Arizona fishing licence. Season dates: Arizona fishing seasons.
Arkansas
- Friday–Sunday, June 12–14 — Free Fishing Weekend, noon Friday to midnight Sunday2026 date
Waived: The fishing licence and the trout stamp.
Still required: Youth-only and mobility-impaired-only areas stay restricted.
Runs from noon on the Friday, which is unusual — most states start at midnight.
Source: AGFC, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Arkansas fishing licence. Season dates: Arkansas fishing seasons.
California
- Saturday, July 4 — Free Fishing Daycalculated from the rule
- Saturday, September 5 — Free Fishing Day2026 date
Waived: The sport fishing licence.
Still required: Report cards are still required for steelhead, sturgeon, and salmon in the Smith and Klamath-Trinity systems.
Two Saturdays a year. The July 4 one is a fixture; the second moves.
Source: CDFW, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: California fishing licence. Season dates: California fishing seasons.
Colorado
- Saturday–Sunday, June 6–7 — Free Fishing Weekendcalculated from the rule
Waived: The fishing licence and the Habitat Stamp.
The Habitat Stamp being waived matters: it is the part of a Colorado licence people forget they paid for.
Source: CPW, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Colorado fishing licence. Season dates: Colorado fishing seasons.
Connecticut
- Saturday, May 9 — Free Fishing Day2026 date
- Sunday, June 21 — Free Fishing License Day2026 date · free one-day licence required
- Saturday, August 8 — Free Fishing License Day2026 date · free one-day licence required
Waived: The licence on May 9 outright.
Still required: On June 21 and August 8 you must first obtain a free one-day licence from the online licensing system, available three weeks ahead.
Three days, two kinds. Turning up on the second or third without the free one-day licence is the mistake this page exists to prevent.
Source: CT DEEP, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Connecticut fishing licence. Season dates: Connecticut fishing seasons.
Delaware
- Saturday–Sunday, June 6–7 — Free Fishing Dayscalculated from the rule
Waived: The licence for fishing, crabbing and clamming in any Delaware waters.
Crabbing and clamming included, which most states leave out.
Source: DNREC, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Delaware fishing licence. Season dates: Delaware fishing seasons.
Florida
- Saturday–Sunday, April 4–5 — Freshwater (freshwater)calculated from the rule
- Saturday–Sunday, June 6–7 — Saltwater (saltwater)calculated from the rule
- Saturday–Sunday, June 13–14 — Freshwater (freshwater)calculated from the rule
- Saturday, September 5 — Saltwater (saltwater)calculated from the rule
- Saturday, November 28 — Saltwater (saltwater)calculated from the rule
Waived: The freshwater or saltwater licence, depending on the day.
FWC writes every one of these as a rule — "first consecutive Saturday and Sunday in April", "Saturday following Thanksgiving" — which is why this page can give the dates for any year. Fresh and salt have different days: a saltwater weekend is not a freshwater one.
Source: FWC, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Florida fishing licence. Season dates: Florida fishing seasons.
Georgia
- Saturday, June 6 — National Fishing and Boating Weekcalculated from the rule
- Saturday, June 13 — National Fishing and Boating Weekcalculated from the rule
- Saturday, September 26 — National Hunting and Fishing Daycalculated from the rule
Waived: The fishing licence and the trout licence on public waters.
Residents only, and three Saturdays rather than a weekend.
Source: Georgia WRD, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Georgia fishing licence. Season dates: Georgia fishing seasons.
Hawaii
No free fishing day, because for residents the sea is licence-free every day: Hawaii has no resident marine licence at all. Non-residents need the Nonresident Recreational Marine Fishing License, and anyone taking introduced freshwater game fish needs the Freshwater Game Fishing License.
Source: Hawaii DAR, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Hawaii fishing licence. Season dates: Hawaii fishing seasons.
Idaho
- Saturday, June 13 — Free Fishing Daycalculated from the rule
Waived: The fishing licence for all ages, resident or not.
IDFG states the rule in words: the second Saturday in June. The only exception to the licence requirement from age 14.
Source: IDFG, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Idaho fishing licence. Season dates: Idaho fishing seasons.
Illinois
- Friday–Monday, June 19–22 — Free Fishing Days2026 date
Waived: The fishing licence, the salmon stamp and the inland trout stamp.
Four days, Friday to Monday, around the third weekend in June. The longest free window in the country.
Source: IDNR, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Illinois fishing licence. Season dates: Illinois fishing seasons.
Indiana
- Sunday, May 10 — Free Fishing Daycalculated from the rule
- Saturday–Sunday, June 6–7 — Free Fishing Weekendcalculated from the rule
- Saturday, September 26 — National Hunting and Fishing Daycalculated from the rule
Waived: The fishing licence and the trout/salmon stamp on public waters.
Residents only. Mother’s Day is the first of the four.
Source: Indiana DNR, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Indiana fishing licence. Season dates: Indiana fishing seasons.
Iowa
- Friday–Sunday, June 5–7 — Free Fishing Weekend2026 date
Waived: The fishing licence and the trout fee.
Residents only, Friday to Sunday.
Source: Iowa DNR, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Iowa fishing licence. Season dates: Iowa fishing seasons.
Kansas
- Saturday–Sunday, June 6–7 — Free Fishing Days2026 date
Waived: The Kansas fishing licence, by order of the Secretary.
Still required: Length and creel limits.
Announced by the Secretary each winter: the 2026 order was issued on February 11. The first full weekend of June in every year we could read. State park entry is also free on April 22 and on a listed day at each park. Our first version of this page said the 2026 dates were unannounced; they had been for seven months, on a release we had not found. Corrected and logged.
Source: KDWP, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Kansas fishing licence. Season dates: Kansas fishing seasons.
Kentucky
- Saturday–Sunday, June 6–7 — Free Fishing Weekendcalculated from the rule
Waived: The fishing licence and permits.
Still required: Private waters still need the owner’s permission.
Residents and visitors of all ages.
Source: KDFWR, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Kentucky fishing licence. Season dates: Kentucky fishing seasons.
Louisiana
- Saturday–Sunday, June 6–7 — Free Fishing Weekendcalculated from the rule
Waived: The fishing licence in Louisiana waters.
Still required: The free Recreational Offshore Landing Permit is still required for tuna, billfish, amberjack, grouper, snapper and other offshore species.
The offshore permit is free but not optional, and people leave it at home on the one weekend they think they do not need paperwork.
Source: LDWF, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Louisiana fishing licence. Season dates: Louisiana fishing seasons.
Maine
- Saturday–Sunday, February 14–15 — Free Fishing Days2026 date
- Saturday–Sunday, May 30–31 — Free Fishing Days2026 date
Waived: The fishing licence for anyone whose licence is not suspended or revoked.
One weekend on the ice and one on open water.
Source: MDIFW, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Maine fishing licence. Season dates: Maine fishing seasons.
Maryland
- Saturday, June 6 — License-Free Fishing Daycalculated from the rule
- Saturday, June 13 — License-Free Fishing Daycalculated from the rule
- Saturday, July 4 — License-Free Fishing Daycalculated from the rule
Waived: The fishing licence, the trout stamp and the registration, in tidal and non-tidal waters.
Still required: Finfish only: crabbing is not covered.
DNR states the rule: the first two Saturdays of June and Independence Day.
Source: MD DNR, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Maryland fishing licence. Season dates: Maryland fishing seasons.
Massachusetts
- Saturday–Sunday, June 6–7 — Free Freshwater Fishing Weekendcalculated from the rule
Waived: The freshwater licence on any public lake, pond, reservoir, stream or river, from midnight Saturday to 11:59 p.m. Sunday.
Freshwater only.
Source: MassWildlife, read 2026-09-15. Season dates: Massachusetts fishing seasons.
Michigan
- Saturday–Sunday, February 14–15 — Winter Free Fishing Weekend2026 date
- Saturday–Sunday, June 13–14 — Summer Free Fishing Weekend2026 date
Waived: The fishing licence for all in-season species, all weekend.
The summer weekend is “Three Free” weekend: fishing, off-road trails and state park entry all free at once.
Source: Michigan DNR, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Michigan fishing licence. Season dates: Michigan fishing seasons.
Minnesota
- Saturday–Monday, January 17–19 — Take a Kid Ice Fishing Weekend2026 date
- Friday–Sunday, June 5–7 — Take a Kid Fishing Weekend2026 date
Waived: The licence for a Minnesota resident aged 16 or over — only while fishing with a child aged 15 or younger.
The condition is the whole thing. These are not free days for adults; they are free days for adults taking a kid. The compiled lists drop that sentence, and they had the January date a day off.
Source: Minnesota DNR, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Minnesota fishing licence. Season dates: Minnesota fishing seasons.
Mississippi
- Saturday–Sunday, June 6–7 — Free Fishing Dayscalculated from the rule
- Saturday, July 4 — Free Fishing Daycalculated from the rule
Waived: The fishing licence for residents.
Still required: State fishing lakes and state park lakes still charge their permit.
Residents only.
Source: MDWFP, read 2026-09-15. Season dates: Mississippi fishing seasons.
Missouri
- Saturday–Sunday, June 6–7 — Free Fishing Dayscalculated from the rule
Waived: The fishing permit, the trout permit and the daily trout tag at the trout parks.
Still required: County, city and private areas may still charge.
MDC writes the rule out: the Saturday and Sunday following the first Monday in June. The trout parks are free that weekend, which is the best deal on this page.
Source: MDC, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Missouri fishing licence. Season dates: Missouri fishing seasons.
Montana
- Saturday–Sunday, May 9–10 — Free Fishing Mother’s Day Weekendcalculated from the rule
- Saturday–Sunday, June 20–21 — Free Fishing Father’s Day Weekendcalculated from the rule
Waived: The fishing licence.
Named after the holidays, so the dates move with them: Mother’s Day is the second Sunday in May, Father’s Day the third in June.
Source: Montana FWP, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Montana fishing licence. Season dates: Montana fishing seasons.
Nebraska
- Saturday, May 16 — Free Fishing and Park Entry Daycalculated from the rule
Waived: The fishing permit and the park entry permit at every state park and recreation area.
Still required: Camping, lodging and other user fees.
The agency’s wording: the Saturday preceding Memorial Day weekend.
Source: Nebraska Game and Parks, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Nebraska fishing licence. Season dates: Nebraska fishing seasons.
Nevada
- Saturday, June 13 — Free Fishing Daycalculated from the rule
Waived: The fishing licence on any public water, for adults and children, resident or not.
Falls on the same day as Nevada State Parks Adventure Day, so park entry is free too.
Source: NDOW, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Nevada fishing licence. Season dates: Nevada fishing seasons.
New Hampshire
- Saturday, January 17 — Free Ice Fishing Daycalculated from the rule
- Saturday, June 6 — Free Fishing Daycalculated from the rule
Waived: The licence on any inland water or in salt water.
Still required: Tournament participants still need a licence.
Both dates are written as rules by the agency: the third Saturday in January and the first Saturday in June.
Source: NH Fish and Game, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: New Hampshire fishing licence. Season dates: New Hampshire fishing seasons.
New Jersey
- Saturday, June 6 — Free Fishing Daycalculated from the rule
- Saturday, September 26 — Free Fishing Daycalculated from the rule
Waived: The freshwater licence.
Freshwater only; the marine side of New Jersey needs no licence anyway, only registration.
Source: NJ Fish and Wildlife, read 2026-09-15. Season dates: New Jersey fishing seasons.
New Mexico
- Saturday–Sunday, June 6–7 — Free Fishing Weekendcalculated from the rule
- Saturday–Sunday, September 26–27 — Free Fishing Weekendcalculated from the rule
Waived: The fishing licence in public waters.
Two weekends: the first in June, for National Fishing and Boating Week, and the fourth in September, for National Hunting and Fishing Day. The 2026–27 rules booklet prints June 6–7 and the September weekend follows the rule. Our first version of this page listed only September; corrected the same day and logged.
Source: NMDGF, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: New Mexico fishing licence. Season dates: New Mexico fishing seasons.
New York
- Saturday–Sunday, February 14–15 — Free Fishing Weekend2026 date
- Saturday–Sunday, June 27–28 — Free Fishing Weekend2026 date
- Saturday, September 26 — National Hunting and Fishing Daycalculated from the rule
- Wednesday, November 11 — Veterans Daycalculated from the rule
Waived: The freshwater licence.
Six days a year: two weekends, National Hunting and Fishing Day, and Veterans Day.
Source: NYSDEC, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: New York fishing licence. Season dates: New York fishing seasons.
North Carolina
- Saturday, July 4 — Free Fishing Day, 12 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.calculated from the rule
Waived: The licence for anyone of any age or residency.
Set by the General Assembly in 1994 and always July 4.
Source: NCWRC, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: North Carolina fishing licence. Season dates: North Carolina fishing seasons.
North Dakota
- Saturday–Sunday, June 6–7 — Free Fishing Weekendcalculated from the rule
- Saturday–Sunday, December 26–27 — Free Ice Fishing Weekend2026 date
Waived: The resident fishing licence.
Residents only. Residents 15 and under never need one.
Source: ND Game and Fish, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: North Dakota fishing licence. Season dates: North Dakota fishing seasons.
Ohio
- Saturday–Sunday, June 20–21 — Free Fishing Days2026 date
Waived: The licence for residents 16 and over on any public water, Lake Erie included.
Residents only, and the only weekend of the year they can fish public water without one.
Source: ODNR, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Ohio fishing licence. Season dates: Ohio fishing seasons.
Oklahoma
- Saturday–Sunday, June 6–7 — Free Fishing Dayscalculated from the rule
Waived: The state fishing licence.
Still required: City lake permits may still apply.
On Lake Texoma all of the lake is free on the Saturday, because it is Texas’s free day too, and only the Oklahoma side on the Sunday.
Source: ODWC, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Oklahoma fishing licence. Season dates: Oklahoma fishing seasons.
Oregon
- Saturday–Sunday, February 14–15 — Free Fishing Weekend2026 date
- Saturday–Sunday, June 6–7 — Free Fishing Weekendcalculated from the rule
- Friday–Saturday, November 27–28 — Free Fishing Dayscalculated from the rule
Waived: Fishing and shellfish licences, tags, endorsements and validations — including the Columbia River Basin and Ocean endorsements and the two-rod validation.
Fish, clam and crab. Oregon waives more paperwork on its free days than any other state, and the November one is the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving.
Source: ODFW, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Oregon fishing licence. Season dates: Oregon fishing seasons.
Pennsylvania
- Sunday, May 24 — Fish-for-Free Daycalculated from the rule
- Saturday, July 4 — Fish-for-Free Daycalculated from the rule
Waived: The fishing licence, the trout/salmon permit and the Lake Erie permit.
The May date has been the Sunday before Memorial Day in every year we could read: May 24 in 2026, May 26 in 2024, May 28 in 2023.
Source: PFBC, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Pennsylvania fishing licence. Season dates: Pennsylvania fishing seasons.
Rhode Island
- Saturday–Sunday, May 2–3 — Free Fishing Weekend2026 date
Waived: The freshwater licence and the trout conservation stamp.
Still required: Saltwater is not included.
The first weekend in May in every year we could read.
Source: RI DEM, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Rhode Island fishing licence. Season dates: Rhode Island fishing seasons.
South Carolina
- Monday, May 25 — Free Fishing Daycalculated from the rule
- Saturday, July 4 — Free Fishing Daycalculated from the rule
Waived: The recreational freshwater licence for residents.
Written into statute, §50-9-730: “the fourth day of July and the date observed by the State for National Memorial Day”. Residents, freshwater. The agency page only mentions July 4; the law names both.
Source: SCDNR, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: South Carolina fishing licence. Season dates: South Carolina fishing seasons.
South Dakota
- Friday–Sunday, May 15–17 — Open House and Free Fishing Weekend2026 date
Waived: The fishing licence on any water in the state, and park entrance at every state park and recreation area.
Still required: Camping fees, daily limits and all other regulations.
Friday to Sunday of the state parks’ Open House weekend, in mid-May: May 15–17 in 2026, May 16–18 in 2025, May 17–19 in 2024. GFP announces it each spring. Our first version of this page said 2026 was unannounced because the agency’s event page still showed 2024; the state news release had the date. Corrected and logged.
Source: SD GFP, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: South Dakota fishing licence. Season dates: South Dakota fishing seasons.
Tennessee
- Saturday, June 6 — Bobby Wilson Free Fishing Daycalculated from the rule
Waived: The licence for residents and visitors of any age on public waters, TWRA lakes and state park facilities.
Still required: Some private pay lakes still charge.
Children 15 and under then fish free for the whole following week, through the Friday.
Source: TWRA, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Tennessee fishing licence. Season dates: Tennessee fishing seasons.
Texas
- Saturday, June 6 — Free Fishing Daycalculated from the rule
Waived: Licences and endorsements.
The first Saturday in June every year. And fishing is free year-round inside every Texas State Park, which is the better-kept secret.
Source: TPWD, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Texas fishing licence. Season dates: Texas fishing seasons.
Utah
- Saturday, June 6 — Free Fishing Daycalculated from the rule
Waived: The fishing licence at any public water.
One Saturday.
Source: Utah DWR, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Utah fishing licence. Season dates: Utah fishing seasons.
Vermont
- Saturday, January 31 — Free Ice Fishing Day2026 date
- Saturday, June 13 — Free Fishing Daycalculated from the rule
Waived: The fishing licence for residents and non-residents.
The June date is also opening day of the bass season. Vermont has added a free mentored fishing weekend over Labor Day for anglers taken out by a licence holder.
Source: Vermont Fish and Wildlife, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Vermont fishing licence. Season dates: Vermont fishing seasons.
Virginia
- Friday–Sunday, June 5–7 — Free Fishing Days2026 date
Waived: Any fishing licence for rod-and-reel fishing, and facilities use permits.
Friday to Sunday, the first weekend in June.
Source: Virginia DWR, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Virginia fishing licence. Season dates: Virginia fishing seasons.
Washington
- Saturday–Sunday, June 6–7 — Free Fishing Weekendcalculated from the rule
Waived: The fishing licence for trout, bass, perch, rockfish, surfperch, shad, lingcod and other open species.
Still required: Salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, halibut and all shellfish still need a licence.
The exceptions are the story: the five things people most want to fish for in Washington are exactly the ones not covered. Coincides with the Discover Pass free days.
Source: WDFW, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Washington fishing licence. Season dates: Washington fishing seasons.
West Virginia
- Saturday–Sunday, June 13–14 — Free Fishing Days2026 date
Waived: The fishing licence on public lakes, streams and rivers.
A weekend in June. The agency sets it each year; it has moved between the first and second weekend.
Source: WVDNR, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: West Virginia fishing licence. Season dates: West Virginia fishing seasons.
Wisconsin
- Saturday–Sunday, January 17–18 — Winter Free Fishing Weekendcalculated from the rule
- Saturday–Sunday, June 6–7 — Free Fishing Weekendcalculated from the rule
Waived: The fishing licence, the trout stamp and the salmon stamp on most state waters.
Still required: Some trout waters carry exceptions.
The DNR states the rule: the third full weekend in January and the first full weekend in June. The June one is Free Fun Weekend, with park admission and trail passes waived too.
Source: Wisconsin DNR, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Wisconsin fishing licence. Season dates: Wisconsin fishing seasons.
Wyoming
- Saturday, June 6 — Free Fishing Daycalculated from the rule
Waived: The fishing licence and the Conservation Stamp, statewide.
Still required: Not inside the Wind River Reservation or Yellowstone National Park.
The agency’s rule: the first Saturday of National Fishing and Boating Week.
Source: WGFD, read 2026-09-15. Licence fees: Wyoming fishing licence. Season dates: Wyoming fishing seasons.
What does not change on a free fishing day
The licence is the only thing that lifts. Daily bag limits, minimum sizes, slot limits, closed seasons, closed waters, gear restrictions and special-regulation stretches all stay exactly as they are the day before and the day after. A wildlife officer checking a cooler on a free fishing weekend is checking for the same things as always, minus the licence. If the walleye season in your state is shut in June, a free fishing day in June does not open it.
Three things also survive the waiver in enough states to be worth a rule of thumb. First, permits that are not the licence: Louisiana’s offshore landing permit, California’s report cards, Connecticut’s free one-day licence on two of its three days. Second, facility fees: Mississippi’s state lakes, Alabama’s public fishing lakes, some Oklahoma city lakes and Tennessee’s private pay lakes charge on free days as on any other. Third, residency: Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, North Dakota, Ohio and South Carolina extend the day to residents only, and Minnesota only to a resident adult with a child in tow. A visitor in any of those states needs a licence on the “free” day.
Washington is the reverse case and the one that catches the most people. Its June weekend waives the licence for trout, bass, perch, lingcod and the rest, and keeps it for salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, halibut and every shellfish, which for most Washington anglers is the whole reason to go.
How we checked
Fifty pages, one per state, read between September 12 and 15, 2026. Where the agency site would not load for us, we read it in a browser; where the agency does not publish the rule at all, as South Carolina does not, we read the statute. Nothing on this page comes from another compiled list. We did use those lists as a map of where to look, and along the way they were wrong often enough to record: Minnesota’s January weekend given as the 16th to 18th when the DNR says the 17th to 19th; Florida, New Mexico, Oregon and South Dakota carrying dates from a previous year as if they were current. Each is logged in the verification log.
55 of the 79 date entries on this page are rules the agency writes in words, and we compute them for the year rather than store a date. The other 24 are dates the agency publishes annually; each carries its year, and when a new year begins without an announcement the entry says so instead of repeating the old date. Alaska and Hawaii have no free fishing day, for different reasons, and both entries say why.
Found an error, or an agency announcement we have not caught up with? The author reads every message: see how corrections work.
Questions
What is a free fishing day?
A day the state waives its fishing licence requirement so anyone can fish public water without buying one. Every other rule stays in force: bag limits, size limits, seasons, closed waters and gear rules do not lift because the licence does. In 48 states there is at least one such day in 2026; two states have none.
Do I need to register or get a permit on a free fishing day?
Usually not, but not always. Connecticut waives the licence outright on one day and on two others requires a free one-day licence obtained in advance. Louisiana still requires its free Recreational Offshore Landing Permit. California still requires report cards for steelhead, sturgeon and some salmon. Each state section below says what is waived and what is not.
Are free fishing days for non-residents too?
In 40 of the 48 states that hold them, yes. Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, North Dakota, Ohio and South Carolina restrict the day to residents, and Minnesota waives the licence for a resident adult only while fishing with a child aged 15 or under.
Why do the dates change every year?
Because most states write the day as a rule rather than a date: the first Saturday in June, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, the weekend of National Hunting and Fishing Day. We calculate those from the rule for the current year, which is why this page does not go stale in January the way copied lists do. Where a state publishes a fixed date each year, we show that year’s date and say so.
Is fishing free on July 4?
In California, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and South Carolina it is, every year. In North Carolina it has been written into law since 1994. Everywhere else July 4 is an ordinary day and you need a licence.
Which state has the most free fishing days?
Counting each day of a multi-day window, Florida has the most in 2026 with 8, split between freshwater and saltwater days that do not overlap. New York has six, Oregon six, Illinois runs the single longest window at four consecutive days in June.