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AUSTIN – The annual Texas tradition of Free Fishing Day is back this Saturday, June 7, at public waterways across the state. Each year on the first Saturday in June, Texans and out-of-state visitors can fish on any public waterway in the state without a fishing license.

“Free Fishing Day is an annual event that encourages Texans to get outdoors, enjoy nature, and go fishing with family and friends,” said Tim Birdsong, Director of Inland Fisheries at Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). “Our hope is that experienced anglers will use this opportunity to take others fishing and share their knowledge, skills, equipment and love of the sport to recruit new anglers.”

Texas boasts an abundance of high-quality fishing opportunities within its 6 million acres of public waterways. These waters support recreational opportunities for 2 million licensed anglers who spend an estimated $9 billion annually on fishing-related expenditures, resulting in a statewide economic impact of $14 billion annually. Sport fishing is big business in Texas, supporting an estimated 78,040 jobs.

Anglers help sustain sport fishing opportunities through their purchase of a fishing license, which is one of the primary sources of funding available to TPWD to manage and conserve Texas fisheries resources. Conservation efforts such as fisheries monitoring, fish stockings, fish habitat improvements and angler access improvements are supported through the purchase of fishing licenses, and these efforts help keep Texas one of the best places in the country to go fishing. For more information on licensing, visit the TPWD license page.