Sport Fish Restoration
Active
- Assistance listing
- 15.605
- Agency
-
Fish and Wildlife Service
Department of the Interior
- Grant awards
- 11,225 $5,801,523,690 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Also known as
- Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Program
- Assistance types
-
- Formula Grant
- Project Grant
- Block Grant
- Treasury account
-
- 14-8151-0-7-303
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service funds restoration, conservation, management, and enhancement of sport fish populations; public access and recreational use of fisheries; and boating access to public waters under CFDA 15.605 (Assistance Listing), with the most recent award disbursed on May 1, 2026.
The program funds concrete activities: fisheries research and population monitoring; fish hatchery operations and species stocking; boat launch and access facility construction, renovation, and maintenance; aquatic resource education and angler outreach; diadromous fish passage restoration; artificial reef development and maintenance; and grant administration and coordination by state fish and wildlife agencies. Sport Fish Restoration Trust Fund revenues come from federal excise taxes on motorboat fuel, electric motors, and fishing equipment, plus import duties on fishing tackle and yachts.
Participation is limited to state agencies with lead management responsibility for fish and wildlife resources in the fifty states, U.S. territories, and commonwealths, plus four interstate marine commissions. The program distributes funds through a legislatively established apportionment formula rather than competitive selection; individual state projects are approved annually by regional Fish and Wildlife Service directors.
The assistance-type mix is predominantly Formula Grants (73 percent of awards) with a smaller Project Grant share (27 percent). Over 11,200 awards have been disbursed since 1996, with approximately 400 per year in recent years. The Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service dominates funding across ten federal agencies—7,238 awards worth $2.68 billion federal dollars obligated—with regional offices (Regions 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6) accounting for the remaining concentrated activity. Combined federal obligation across the portfolio reached $5.8 billion, with recipients contributing an additional $3.25 billion in non-federal matching support.
Recent awards illustrate scope: Pennsylvania's Linden boat access facility rehabilitation ($447,725); Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries grant management system ($236,484); South Dakota boat access operations at 402 public recreational boating facilities ($848,000); Kentucky statewide fisheries management and investigations ($6.2 million combined); and Alaska sport fish hatchery energy efficiency upgrades at two facilities ($6.7 million combined). Grants support multi-year work; typical completion periods range from one to four years.
No grant opportunities currently open are listed. Recent opportunities posted in 2019 and 2018 closed in 2020. The program operates on an annual apportionment cycle; state agencies submit work plans to their regional director for approval rather than responding to time-limited competitive solicitations. Contact the Fish and Wildlife Service Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program office by region for current submission schedules.
Objective and description
- Objective
Sport Fish Restoration funds support activities designed to restore, conserve, manage, or enhance sport fish populations; the public use and benefits from these resources; and activities that provide boat access to public waters. Sport fisheries res
- Description
The purpose of the Sport Fish Restoration Program is to provide funding to aid the States in sport fish restoration and management. Participation is limited to State agencies with lead management responsibility for fish and wildlife resources in the United States of America that have passed assent language. The program is funded by revenues collected from excise taxes on motorboat fuel, certain electric motors and fishing equipment, and import duties on fishing tackle and yachts. Revenues are deposited into the Sport Fish Restoration Trust Fund and apportioned annually following a legislatively established formula to each of the State agencies.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
State governments, U.S. Territories, and Commonwealths and the four interstate Marine Commissions
- Beneficiary eligibility
State governments, U.S. Territories, and Commonwealths and the four interstate Marine Commissions
- Uses of assistance
The program funds projects to restore, conserve, manage, or enhance sport fish populations and the public use and benefits from these resources; to educate the public about aquatic resources; and to provide boating access to public waters. Eligible activities include land acquisition, boating access development, research, operations and maintenance of public fishing areas, hatchery and lake construction and maintenance, sport fish population management, fishing habitat improvements, coordination, and aquatic resource education.
- Use restrictions
The program funds projects to restore, conserve, manage, or enhance sport fish populations and the public use and benefits from these resources; to educate the public about aquatic resources; and to provide boating access to public waters. Eligible activities include land acquisition, boating access development, research, operations and maintenance of public fishing areas, hatchery and lake construction and maintenance, sport fish population management, fishing habitat improvements, coordination, and aquatic resource education.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
Sport Fish Restoration Program funds are available each Fiscal Year and must be obligated within two years.
How to apply
- Preapplication coordination
The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program staff can be contacted by Region or at our Headquarters office. Contact information is located at our website, http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/ContactUs/ContactUs.htm
- Criteria for selecting proposals
The State, Commonwealth, or Territorial agency having lead responsibility for the management of their fish and wildlife resources must submit the projects. The Regional Office approves projects submitted for funding under the program that meet the basic criteria outlined in the regulations and the Fish and Wildlife Service Manual.
- Award procedure
The Regional Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or his or her designee approves or disapproves proposed grants. Regional Offices are responsible for notification of grant approval to the grantee.
- Time to approval or disapproval
Approximately 30 days.
- Renewals
Grantees may renew projects on an annual basis if justifiable and if funds are available.
- Appeals
Regional Directors will consider differences of opinion concerning the eligibility of proposals. Final determination rests with the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Grant opportunities
Show all 41
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 11,225 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas Parks And Wildlife Department | $256,531,625 | 4% |
| 2 | Alaska Department Of Fish & Game | $253,682,021 | 4% |
| 3 | California Department Of Fish & Wildlife | $246,625,525 | 4% |
| 4 | Minnesota Department Of Natural Resources | $193,316,899 | 3% |
| 5 | Wisconsin Department Of Natural Resources | $168,532,946 | 3% |
| 6 | Department Of Natural Resources | $159,393,667 | 3% |
| 7 | Fish & Boat Commission, Pennsylvania | $129,535,488 | 2% |
| 8 | Fish Wildlife & Parks Montana Department | $120,311,791 | 2% |
| 9 | State Of Oregon Department Of Fish And Wildlife | $120,245,123 | 2% |
| 10 | Missouri Department Of Conservation | $116,133,129 | 2% |
10 of 78 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $81,953,020 |
| FY2025 | $376,810,397 |
| FY2024 | $390,167,450 |
| FY2023 | $375,739,125 |
| FY2022 | $364,593,596 |
| FY2021 | $359,425,195 |
| FY2020 | $334,618,226 |
| FY2019 | $331,844,779 |
| FY2018 | $332,412,876 |
| FY2017 | $368,784,551 |
| FY2016 | $344,551,491 |
| FY2015 | $352,702,756 |
| FY2014 | $352,600,403 |
| FY2013 | $301,591,742 |
| FY2012 | $321,668,584 |
| FY2011 | $92,617 |
| FY2009 | $170,506,348 |
| FY2008 | $200,501,821 |
| FY2007 | $123,325,143 |
| FY2006 | $295,000 |
| FY2005 | $143,944,284 |
| FY2004 | $164,359,567 |
| FY2003 | $82,250 |
| FY2002 | $14,326,448 |
| FY2001 | $30,622,804 |
Show all 25
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 15.605?
Assistance Listing 15.605 is Sport Fish Restoration, a federal grant program run by Fish and Wildlife Service (Department of the Interior).
What is the CFDA number for Sport Fish Restoration?
Its CFDA number is 15.605: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 15.605 awarded?
11,225 grant awards under 15.605 have obligated $5,801,523,690 in federal funds to 78 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 15.605?
The recipients obligated the most under Sport Fish Restoration are Texas Parks And Wildlife Department ($256,531,625), Alaska Department Of Fish & Game ($253,682,021) and California Department Of Fish & Wildlife ($246,625,525).
How much did 15.605 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 15.605 obligated $376,810,397 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 15.605?
No opportunity listed under 15.605 is open now. The latest, Region 6 Sport Fish Restoration Grant Program, was posted on December 12, 2019.
On GovTribe
See this program's full record
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