Free fishing days by state
Days when you can fish without a license. Limits and other rules still apply. Some are for residents only, as marked.
- Free
- Official sources first
- Checked monthly
- Independent, not a state website
November 2026
December 2026
- Dec 26–27, 2026 North Dakota: Free Fishing Days (December) (residents only) Fresh
January 2027
- Sat, Jan 16, 2027 New Hampshire: Third Saturday in January FreshSalt
- Jan 16–17, 2027 Wisconsin: Winter Free Fishing Weekend: third Saturday in January and the Sunday after Fresh
- Sat, Jan 30, 2027 Vermont: Winter Free Fishing Day: last Saturday in January Fresh
February 2027
- Feb 13–14, 2027 Michigan: Saturday and Sunday of Presidents' Day weekend Fresh
April 2027
- Apr 3–4, 2027 Florida: First Saturday and Sunday in April Fresh
May 2027
- May 1–2, 2027 Rhode Island: First full weekend of May (Saturday and Sunday) Fresh
- May 8–9, 2027 Minnesota: Take a Mom Fishing Weekend: Saturday and Sunday of Mother's Day weekend (resident mothers) (residents only) Fresh
- Sat, May 22, 2027 Nebraska: Saturday before Memorial Day weekend Fresh
- May 29–31, 2027 Maine: Saltwater registry not needed: Memorial Day weekend (Maine residents) (residents only) Salt
- Mon, May 31, 2027 South Carolina: Memorial Day (last Monday in May) (residents only) Fresh
June 2027
- Jun 5–6, 2027 Florida: First Saturday and Sunday in June Salt
- Jun 5–6, 2027 Kentucky: First Saturday and Sunday in June Fresh
- Sat, Jun 5, 2027 Maryland: First Saturday in June FreshSalt
- Sat, Jun 5, 2027 New Hampshire: First Saturday in June FreshSalt
- Jun 5–6, 2027 North Dakota: Free Fishing Weekend (June) (residents only) Fresh
- Jun 5–6, 2027 Oklahoma: Fresh
- Sat, Jun 5, 2027 Texas: First Saturday in June FreshSalt
- Jun 5–6, 2027 Wisconsin: Summer Free Fishing Weekend: first Saturday in June and the Sunday after Fresh
- Jun 12–13, 2027 Florida: Second Saturday and Sunday in June Fresh
- Sat, Jun 12, 2027 Idaho: Free Fishing Day: second Saturday in June Fresh
- Sat, Jun 12, 2027 Maryland: Second Saturday in June FreshSalt
- Sat, Jun 12, 2027 Tennessee: Free Fishing Day Fresh
- Jun 12–18, 2027 Tennessee: Free fishing week (15 and under) (young anglers) Fresh
- Sat, Jun 12, 2027 Vermont: Summer Free Fishing Day: second Saturday in June Fresh
- Jun 12–13, 2027 Washington: Free Fishing Weekend 2027 FreshSalt
- Jun 12–13, 2027 Washington: Free Fishing Weekend: the first weekend after the first Monday in June FreshSalt
- Jun 19–20, 2027 Michigan: Saturday and Sunday after the first full week of June Fresh
- Jun 19–20, 2027 Montana: Father's Day weekend Fresh
July 2027
- Sat, Jul 3, 2027 California: FreshSalt
- Sun, Jul 4, 2027 Maine: Saltwater registry not needed: July 4 (Maine residents) (residents only) Salt
- Sun, Jul 4, 2027 Maryland: July 4 FreshSalt
- Sun, Jul 4, 2027 North Carolina: July 4 every year FreshSalt
- Sun, Jul 4, 2027 South Carolina: July 4 (residents only) Fresh
September 2027
- Sat, Sep 4, 2027 California: FreshSalt
- Sat, Sep 4, 2027 Florida: First Saturday in September Salt
- Sep 4–6, 2027 Maine: Saltwater registry not needed: Labor Day weekend (Maine residents) (residents only) Salt
November 2027
- Sat, Nov 27, 2027 Florida: Saturday after Thanksgiving Salt
December 2027
- Dec 26–27, 2027 North Dakota: Free Fishing Days (December) (residents only) Fresh
Dates not yet announced
These states set their dates each year and haven't announced 2027 yet: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming.