Anglers who travel to Montana to catch the state’s wild trout spend plenty of cash along the way. Photo: Kubie Brown
One of the more powerful influences that fly fishers have is their economic impact, something confirmed by a new study published by the University of Montana’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Poring over the numbers from 2024, the study’s authors found that coldwater anglers—those chasing trout, salmon, grayling, and whitefish—contributed a staggering $1.1 billion to the state’s economy. Writing in The Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Blair Miller described the impact on local economies:
The report found more than 450,000 people aged 18 and older bought a fishing license in Montana in 2024, and those anglers spent about $1.27 billion to go fishing — including paying for lodging, guides, fuel, food, flies, lures and other gear, along with other purchases. . . .
Altogether, fishing created nearly 16,000 jobs here last year and accounted for $919 million in value added to the state’s gross domestic product, the report says — most of that through the coldwater anglers.
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