Fishing license sales up 25% as inland sport fishing season opens

HAYWARD (AP) — The inland sport fishing season is now open.

Governor Scott Walker kicked it off Saturday, May 2nd by dropping a line at the Chippewa Flowage in Sawyer County, east of Hayward.

According to Walker's office, sportfishing generates $2.3 billion in economic benefits and supports 22,000 jobs annually in Wisconsin.

Through Tuesday, nearly 411,000 anglers had purchased fishing licenses and nearly 94,000 had purchased trout stamps.

Fishing license sales are up 25 percent and trout stamp sales are up 19 percent from the same time last year.