South Dakota Ranks Second Lowest For Fishing Value And Access Among All States

South Dakota has always been recognized as one of the best fishing destinations in America thanks to several options in the Black Hills, as well as Lake Oahe and the Missouri River.

But a new study ranks that state as the second-weakest value-and-access combination for anglers in a 50-state comparison of license costs, water choice, public land, and fishing breadth. Only Kansas placed lower.

PlayCasino.com compiled the ranking from 2026 nationwide datasets covering annual resident and non-resident license prices, reported lakes and reservoirs, federal public-land share, and a 17-criteria fishing-breadth benchmark.

Because most adult recreational anglers need a license in every state, the cost comparison used annual resident and non-resident prices rather than a no-license category. License value carried 35% of the score, water choice 25%, access through federal public ownership 15%, and fishing breadth 25%.

READ MORE: What South Dakota's Holiday Boating Crackdown Found On The Water

Why South Dakota ranks near the bottom

The state charges $31 per resident for a fishing license and $80 for non-residents, which aren't too expensive. But the study shows that the typical angler faces a less forgiving statewide mix once license value, water range, public access, and the breadth benchmark are considered together, so visitors are advised to check exact license and special-water rules before travelling.

The 10 weakest value-and-access combinations

1. Kansas: $27.50 resident and $77.50 non-resident annual licenses; a 0.5% federal-land share and a limited large-water network.
2. South Dakota: $31 resident and $80 non-resident annual licenses; productive reservoirs and rivers, but a near-bottom 2026 benchmark placement and thinner facilities.
3. Iowa: $22 resident and $48 non-resident annual licenses; managed lakes, but a very small federal-land share.
4. Indiana: $23 resident and $60 non-resident licenses accompany modest lake and public-land totals.
5. Arizona: $37 resident and $55 non-resident annual licenses; water concentrated in a smaller number of reservoirs and streams.
6. Washington: $39.95 resident and $115.85 non-resident reference prices make casual visits expensive.
7. California: $64.54 resident and $174.14 non-resident prices can rise with ocean or species validations.
8. Alabama: $17 resident and $66.25 non-resident prices combine with a lower public-land share.
9. Mississippi: a $10 resident annual Small Game Hunting/Freshwater Fishing license and a $68 non-resident annual Freshwater Fishing license; rivers, reservoirs, and Gulf access, but fewer reported lakes and a smaller public-land footprint.
10. New Mexico: $25 resident and $56 non-resident prices accompany a relatively small lake inventory.

Florida led the all-round ranking. Michigan took second and Maryland third, with the top group generally pairing manageable prices with large or varied fisheries.

The 10 best states for fishing

1. Florida: $17 resident and $47 non-resident freshwater licenses, more than 7,700 lakes and a 123-point benchmark.
2. Michigan: $26 and $76 annual licenses, roughly 11,000 lakes and access to four Great Lakes.
3. Maryland: $32 and $55 non-tidal licenses, plus $15 and $22.50 Bay and coastal annual options.
4. North Carolina: $25 and $45 annual licenses, with coastal privileges extra and strong statewide variety.
5. South Carolina: $10 and $35 licenses, Santee Cooper waters and productive coastal marsh fishing.
6. Louisiana: $17 and $68 basic licenses, with saltwater requirements and broad marsh and bayou choice.
7. Texas: $30 and $58 freshwater packages, around 7,000 lakes and reservoirs and Gulf access.
8. Wisconsin: $20 and $55 licenses, roughly 15,000 lakes and Great Lakes shoreline.
9. New York: $25 and $50 licenses, about 7,850 lakes plus Atlantic and Great Lakes fishing.
10. Massachusetts: $40 and $50 freshwater licenses, with a separate saltwater permit and strong coastal variety.

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