Fishing License Exemptions by State (2026)

Fishing license exemptions by state

“Senior (min age)” is the age at which a state’s senior rule begins — it may be a full exemption, a reduced fee, or a cheap lifetime license, not necessarily free. Tap any state for the full sourced rule, including the disability and veteran details. “—” means the state publishes no such exemption.

Youth fishing license ages by state

The age below which no fishing license is required. It is not a uniform 16 — 21 of 50 states differ.

Free fishing days by state

48 states run a statewide day (or weekend) when no license is required. All other regulations — bag and size limits, seasons — still apply.

Alabama

Saturday, June 13, 2026 — no fishing license required in Alabama's public waters, including saltwater (no saltwater license or reef fish endorsement needed). Exceptions: State Public Fishing Lakes still require a permit, some piers still charge fees, private ponds still need the owner's permission, and State Park gate fees still apply. Source →

Arizona

Saturday, June 6, 2026 — Arizona Free Fishing Day; no license required to fish public waters statewide. Bag limits and all other fishing regulations still apply. Source →

Arkansas

Arkansas' Free Fishing Weekend runs June 12–14, 2026 (noon Friday June 12 through midnight Sunday June 14) — residents and non-residents may fish without a license or trout permit. All other regulations still apply. Source →

California

California holds two Free Fishing Days each year, when anyone may fish statewide without a sport fishing license. CDFW's published 2026 dates were Saturday, July 4 and Saturday, September 5; both have now passed, and CDFW has not yet published 2027 dates. On a Free Fishing Day all other regulations remain in effect — bag and size limits, gear restrictions, fishing hours and stream closures — and report cards are still required for steelhead, sturgeon or salmon in the Smith and Klamath-Trinity River systems. Source →

Colorado

June 6–7, 2026 — Colorado's Free Fishing Weekend (first full weekend in June); no license required to fish statewide. Bag and size limits and all other regulations still apply. Source →

Connecticut

Connecticut has one truly license-free day — Saturday, May 9, 2026 — when no license is required at all. It also runs two "Free Fishing License" days, Sunday, June 21 and Saturday, August 8, 2026, on which fishing is free but a no-cost 1-day license must first be obtained from the DEEP licensing system. All other regulations still apply. Source →

Delaware

June 6–7, 2026 — Delaware Free Fishing Days; anglers may fish, crab and clam in Delaware waters without a license (no FIN number required either). All other rules still apply. Source →

Florida

Florida's licence-free fishing days recur on a fixed formula FWC publishes without years: freshwater on the first consecutive Saturday and Sunday in April and the second consecutive Saturday and Sunday in June; saltwater on the first consecutive Saturday and Sunday in June, the first Saturday in September, and the Saturday following Thanksgiving. For 2026 that is freshwater April 4–5 and June 13–14, and saltwater June 6–7, September 5 and November 28. No licence is required on those days, for residents or non-residents; all other rules still apply, including seasons and bag and size limits. On saltwater days the waiver also covers crabbing, lobstering and scalloping, and snook and spiny lobster permits are not required. Source →

Georgia

Georgia's 2026 free fishing days: June 6 and June 13 (during National Fishing & Boating Week) and September 26 (National Hunting & Fishing Day). No license or trout license required on those days; all other regulations still apply. Source →

Idaho

Saturday, June 13, 2026 — Idaho Free Fishing Day (the second Saturday in June); no license required statewide for that single day. Creel limits, opening dates, tackle restrictions and all other rules still apply. Source →

Illinois

June 19–22, 2026 (Friday through Monday, Father's Day weekend) — no fishing license, salmon stamp or inland trout stamp required at any public water, including Lake Michigan. All other regulations apply. Source →

Indiana

May 10, June 6–7, and September 26, 2026 — Indiana residents need no fishing license or trout/salmon stamp to fish public waters on those days. Seasons, bag and size limits still apply. Source →

Iowa

June 5–7, 2026 — Iowa's Free Fishing Weekend (the first Friday–Sunday in June). Iowa residents may fish without a license; a trout fee is still required to possess trout, and all other regulations remain in effect. Source →

Kansas

June 6–7, 2026 — Kansas Free Fishing Days; no fishing license required statewide. All other regulations still apply. Source →

Kentucky

June 6–7, 2026 (Free Fishing Weekend — the first consecutive Saturday and Sunday in June each year). No fishing license or trout permit required; size limits and harvest limits still apply, and permission is still needed for private waters. Source →

Louisiana

June 6–7, 2026 — Louisiana's annual Free Fishing Weekend; residents and visitors may fish Louisiana waters without an otherwise-required license. All size, season, catch and gear regulations still apply. Source →

Maine

February 13–14, 2027 and June 5–6, 2027 — on Maine's Free Fishing Weekends any person may fish without a license, except anyone whose license is under suspension or revocation. All other laws and regulations still apply. Source →

Maryland

The first two Saturdays in June and July 4 each year — for 2026 that is June 6, June 13 and July 4 — no non-tidal fishing license or trout stamp required. Size limits, creel limits, seasons and area rules still apply. Source →

Massachusetts

Massachusetts holds a Free Freshwater Fishing Weekend on the first weekend in June, when no license is required to fish any public lake, pond, reservoir, stream or river, from 12 a.m. Saturday to 11:59 p.m. Sunday. In 2026 it was June 6–7, and May 10 and June 21, 2026 were Free Saltwater Fishing Days. All 2026 dates have passed and MassWildlife has not yet published 2027 dates. All other regulations, including catch limits, still apply. Source →

Michigan

Michigan's two 2026 Free Fishing Weekends — winter February 14–15 and summer June 13–14 — waive all fishing-license fees for residents and non-residents. A Recreation Passport is also not required to enter state parks/boat launches those days. All fishing regulations remain in effect. Source →

Minnesota

Minnesota has no general open free-fishing day. It runs two Take a Kid Fishing weekends — January 17–19, 2026 (ice) and June 5–7, 2026 — on which a Minnesota resident aged 16 or older may fish without a license ONLY while accompanied by a child aged 15 or younger. All other regulations, seasons and limits still apply. Source →

Mississippi

June 6–7 and July 4, 2026 — residents may fish Mississippi's public waters without a license. On June 6–7 permits are also waived at state fishing lakes and state park lakes; on July 4 those lake permits are STILL required. All other regulations apply. Source →

Missouri

Missouri's Free Fishing Days fall on the Saturday and Sunday following the first Monday in June each year, when anyone may fish state waters without an MDC fishing permit, trout permit or prescribed-area daily tag. In 2026 they were June 6–7; MDC has not yet posted the 2027 date. Size and daily limits still apply, and county, city or private fishing areas may still charge their own fees. Source →

Montana

Montana waives the license on Mother's Day weekend and Father's Day weekend each year — in 2026 the Father's Day free weekend is June 20–21 (Mother's Day weekend was May 9–10). Any person, resident or non-resident, may fish without a license; all other regulations apply. Source →

Nebraska

May 16, 2026 — Nebraska's Free Fishing and Park Entry Day (the Saturday before Memorial Day); no fishing permit or aquatic habitat stamp required statewide, and park entry is free. All other regulations apply. Source →

Nevada

Saturday, June 13, 2026 — Nevada Free Fishing Day (the second Saturday in June); no fishing license required to fish any public water statewide, and admission to all Nevada state parks is free that day. All limits and other regulations still apply. Source →

New Hampshire

Saturday, January 17, 2026 and Saturday, June 6, 2026 — New Hampshire's two Free Fishing Days; residents and non-residents may fish without a license on those days. All other regulations still apply. Source →

New Jersey

June 6 and September 26, 2026 — New Jersey's two Free Fishing Days; no license or trout stamp required to fish the state's fresh waters. All other regulations still apply. Source →

New Mexico

Saturday, June 6, 2026 — New Mexico Free Fishing Day; residents and non-residents may fish public waters without a license. Bag limits, size limits and gear restrictions still apply. Source →

New York

Four 2026 free freshwater fishing days when no license is required to fish New York's fresh waters: February 14–15, June 27–28, September 26 (National Hunting & Fishing Day) and November 11 (Veterans Day). All other regulations remain in effect. Source →

North Carolina

July 4 each year is North Carolina's single Free Fishing Day — from 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. anyone may fish any public water statewide, inland, coastal and joint waters alike, with no fishing licence and no trout licence. The next occurrence is Sunday, July 4, 2027. All other rules still apply: length limits, daily possession limits, and bait and tackle restrictions. Source →

North Dakota

June 6–7, 2026 and December 26–27, 2026 — North Dakota's Resident Free Fishing Days; North Dakota residents may fish any water in the state without a license on those days. All other regulations still apply. Non-residents are not covered. Source →

Ohio

Saturday, June 20 and Sunday, June 21, 2026 — Ohio's Free Fishing Days, held on Father's Day weekend each year, when all Ohio residents may fish any public water without purchasing a licence. All size and daily limits apply during these two days. Source →

Oklahoma

June 6–7, 2026 — Oklahoma's statewide Free Fishing Days, held the first full weekend in June each year; no state fishing license is required, at any age. All other regulations still apply (daily bag limits, size restrictions); some city and municipal lake permits may still be required, and a free paddlefish permit is still required to take paddlefish. Source →

Oregon

February 14–15, June 6–7, and November 27–28, 2026 — everyone may fish, crab and clam anywhere in Oregon with no license and no tags/endorsements. Area closures, bag limits and all other regulations still apply. Source →

Pennsylvania

Sunday, May 24, 2026 and Saturday, July 4, 2026 — no fishing license required, and Trout/Salmon and Lake Erie permits are not required either. All other fishing regulations remain in effect. Source →

Rhode Island

The first full weekend of May — May 2–3, 2026 — no freshwater fishing license and no Trout Conservation Stamp required for residents or out-of-state visitors. All other regulations still apply. Source →

South Carolina

Memorial Day (Monday, May 25) and Saturday, July 4, 2026 — South Carolina residents may fish public fresh waters without a license on those days. Saltwater, size, creel and gear rules still apply. Source →

South Dakota

May 15–17, 2026 — South Dakota's Open House and Free Fishing Weekend, held the weekend prior to Memorial Day weekend each year. No fishing licence is required and entrance to all state parks and recreation areas is free (camping fees still apply); all regulations and limits still apply. NOTE: South Dakota's former Mother's Day and Father's Day free-fishing/park-entrance exemptions have been REPEALED — Open House Weekend is now the state's only license-free fishing period. Source →

Tennessee

Saturday, June 12, 2027 — Bobby Wilson Free Fishing Day; everyone can fish for free in Tennessee's public waters, no licence required, at any age. Free Fishing Week runs June 12–18, 2027, during which children 15 and under fish free all week. Applies to public waters, Agency-owned lakes and state park facilities; some private pay lakes may still charge. Source →

Texas

The first Saturday in June each year — everyone can fish recreationally in Texas without a license or endorsements; TPWD lists June 5, 2027 as the next one. Texas also waives the license year-round when fishing on state-park property/waters (park entry fees still apply) and in waters completely enclosed within private property. Source →

Utah

Saturday, June 6, 2026 — anyone may fish at any public waterbody in Utah without a license. All of Utah's other fishing rules stay in effect. On every other day of the year, anyone 12 or older needs a license. Source →

Vermont

Two statewide license-free days in 2026: Free Ice Fishing Day, Saturday, January 31 (last Saturday in January), and Summer Free Fishing Day, Saturday, June 13. Any angler, resident or non-resident, may fish without a license; all other regulations still apply. Source →

Virginia

June 5–7, 2026 — Virginia's Free Fishing Days; no license required for rod-and-reel freshwater fishing in the state's lakes, rivers, streams and reservoirs. All other regulations still apply. Source →

Washington

June 12–13, 2027 — Washington's Free Fishing Weekend, when no license is needed for many species and no Vehicle Access Pass, Two-Pole Endorsement or Discover Pass is required. Licenses are STILL required for salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, halibut and all shellfish. Source →

West Virginia

June 13–14, 2026 — West Virginia's Free Fishing Days; residents and non-residents may fish without a license or Conservation Stamp for two days. All other regulations still apply. Source →

Wisconsin

January 17–18, 2026 and June 6–7, 2026. Wisconsin's Free Fishing Weekends are always held the third full weekend in January and the first full weekend in June, so the pattern holds even before the DNR posts next year's dates. Residents and non-residents may fish without a license, trout stamp or salmon stamp. All other fishing regulations including bag limits, size limits and species restrictions remain in effect; consult the trout regulations for exceptions. Source →

Wyoming

Saturday, June 6, 2026 — Wyoming Free Fishing Day (first Saturday of National Fishing & Boating Week); anyone may fish without a license statewide except within the Wind River Reservation and Yellowstone National Park. All creel/size limits and other regulations still apply. Source →