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Monday, May. 11, 2026

Do more than a quarter of Minnesotans have fishing licenses?

Brian Arola, MinnPost
no

While fishing is indeed a Minnesota pastime, fewer than a quarter of the state’s residents have fishing licenses.

The state sold about 1.1 million licenses in 2025, according to Department of Natural Resources (DNR) data. This would equal about 19% of the state’s 5.8 million population, but the actual percentage is lower due to non-residents buying at least 270,000 of the licenses. 

Still, hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans drop lures in lakes and rivers each year. Numbers pick up around the state’s walleye fishing opener each May.

Licenses are required for residents between the ages of 16-89. The percentage of this age range with licenses has been more than 25% in the past. A DNR report from 2012 found that 28% of age 16+ residents had fishing licenses.

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