Fishing Merit Badge History

Earned through 20202,126,476

Best year197558,511 earned

All-time popularity#20official, as of 2020#21by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1952. Peak year 1975 with 58,511. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

19527,134 earned#34 of 120

19535,934 earned#35 of 105

195423,777 earned#17 of 103

195526,557 earned#16 of 100

195626,804 earned#17 of 100

195727,701 earned#17 of 100

195828,913 earned#17 of 101

195930,522 earned#17 of 101

196034,766 earned#17 of 100

196135,888 earned#17 of 101

196233,686 earned#19 of 101

196333,433 earned#20 of 102

196431,824 earned#20 of 107

196529,616 earned#20 of 109

196628,688 earned#20 of 110

196732,807 earned#20 of 112

196833,161 earned#19 of 112

196936,616 earned#17 of 113

197037,185 earned#17 of 113

197136,189 earned#15 of 113

197237,080 earned#14 of 124

197337,301 earned#16 of 122

197456,780 earned#11 of 121

197558,511 earned#11 of 128

197650,146 earned#12 of 130

197740,227 earned#16 of 130

197836,043 earned#16 of 131

197930,691 earned#18 of 132

198020,556 earned#20 of 132

198130,319 earned#20 of 134

1982No data available

1983No data available

1984No data available

1985No data available

1986No data available

1987No data available

1988No data available

1989No data available

1990No data available

1991No data available

1992No data available

199329,726 earned#24 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

199632,541 earned#23 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

200032,822 earned#23 of 128

200131,123 earned#23 of 129

200231,625 earned#25 of 129

200330,325 earned#26 of 130

200430,497 earned#25 of 121

200527,203 earned#25 of 121

200626,496 earned#25 of 121

200726,769 earned#25 of 121

200826,014 earned#25 of 121

200928,692 earned#23 of 122

201029,806 earned#20 of 125

201132,048 earned#19 of 129

201231,932 earned#18 of 132

201329,788 earned#15 of 129

201428,119 earned#22 of 136

201526,050 earned#23 of 138

201625,256 earned#23 of 138

201724,343 earned#23 of 139

201824,688 earned#23 of 139

201923,589 earned#22 of 139

202013,601 earned#17 of 137

2021No data available#20 of 137

2022No data available#24 of 138

2023No data available#23 of 138

2024No data available#23 of 138

2025No data available#22 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#22 of 141" means the badge was number 22 of the 141 merit badges earned that year. National counts have not been published since 2020, but the rankings have. The grand total comes from official reports and includes the years without a known count. The 2025 all-time place is an estimate, because the counts for 2021 to 2025 are worked out from each year's official ranking and the total number of merit badges earned that year.

19527,134#34 of 120

19535,934#35 of 105

195423,777#17 of 103

195526,557#16 of 100

195626,804#17 of 100

195727,701#17 of 100

195828,913#17 of 101

195930,522#17 of 101

196034,766#17 of 100

196135,888#17 of 101

196233,686#19 of 101

196333,433#20 of 102

196431,824#20 of 107

196529,616#20 of 109

196628,688#20 of 110

196732,807#20 of 112

196833,161#19 of 112

196936,616#17 of 113

197037,185#17 of 113

197136,189#15 of 113

197237,080#14 of 124

197337,301#16 of 122

197456,780#11 of 121

197558,511#11 of 128

197650,146#12 of 130

197740,227#16 of 130

197836,043#16 of 131

197930,691#18 of 132

198020,556#20 of 132

198130,319#20 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

199329,726#24 of 123

1994—

1995—

199632,541#23 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

200032,822#23 of 128

200131,123#23 of 129

200231,625#25 of 129

200330,325#26 of 130

200430,497#25 of 121

200527,203#25 of 121

200626,496#25 of 121

200726,769#25 of 121

200826,014#25 of 121

200928,692#23 of 122

201029,806#20 of 125

201132,048#19 of 129

201231,932#18 of 132

201329,788#15 of 129

201428,119#22 of 136

201526,050#23 of 138

201625,256#23 of 138

201724,343#23 of 139

201824,688#23 of 139

201923,589#22 of 139

202013,601#17 of 137

2021—#20 of 137

2022—#24 of 138

2023—#23 of 138

2024—#23 of 138

2025—#22 of 141

Grand total through 2020:

This page keeps growing. More of this badge's history, including its patches and pamphlets, is being checked and will be added once it is confirmed.

Fishing: workbook data

Printings (76)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	UPC	SKU	SA #	HC	Notes
x	1950	November	5B	blank	1M		3319
x	1951	August	5B	back-6a	5M	1951	3319
x	1952	March	6	back-6b-1-fishing	5M	1951	3295
x	1952	November	6	back-6b-1-fishing	7M	1951	3295
x	1953	June	6	back-6b-1-fishing	7M	1951	3295
x	1954	March	6	back-6b-2-fishing	4M		3295				HCI
	1954	July	6	back-6b-2-fishing	3M		3295
x	1954	November	6	back-6b-2-fishing	12M		3295
x	1954		SPECIAL	blank		1954	3295					published in cooperation with the sport fishing institute washington d.c.-same contents as november 1954 publication but different cover
x	1955	October	6	back-6b-2-fishing	15M	1954	3295				HCJV1
x	1956	July	6	back-6b-2-fishing	15M	1954	3295
x	1957	May	6	back-6b-2-fishing	20M	1954	3295				HCJV1
x	1958	October	6	back-6c-2	18M	1954	3295				HCJV1
x	1959	November	6	back-6c-2	17M	1954	3295				HCJV2
x	1960	July	6	back-6d	19M	1954	3295
x	1961	June	6	back-6e	19M	1954	3295				HCJV2
x	1962	April	6	back-6f	20M	1954	3295				HCJV2
x	1963	May	6	back-6g	20M	1954	3295
x	1964	April	6	back-6h	25M	1954	3295				HCK
x	1965	March	6	back-6h	25M	1954	3295				HCK, HCP
x	1966	April	6	back-6i	25M	1954	3295				HCL
	1967	not made
x	1968	March	7A-1	back-7	26M	1954	3295
x	1968	October	7A-1	back-7	28M	1954	3295
	1969	not made
x	1970	March	7A-2	back-7	30M	1954	3295
x	1971	February	7A-2	back-7	30M		3295
x	1972	March	7A-2	back-7	28M		3295
x	1973	March	8A	back-8a	10M		3295
x	1974	March	8B	back-8b	35M	1974	3295
x	1975	January	8B	back-8b	15M	1974	3295
x	1975	April	8B	back-8c-1	12M	1974	3295				HCT
x	1976	February	8B	back-8c-1	25M	1974	3295
x	1977	January	8B	back-8c-1	22M	1974	3295
x	1978	March	8B	back-8d	15M	1974	3295
x	1979	May	8B	back-8d	14M	1974	3295
x	1980	March	9A	back-9a	15M	1974	3295
x	1981	May	9A	back-9a	7M	1974	3295
x	1981	November	9A	back-9a	15M	1974	3295
x	1982	June	9A	back-9a	15M	1974	3295
x	1983	May	9A	back-9a	9M	1974	3295
x	1984	March	9A	back-9a	16M	1974	3295
x	1985	March	9A	back-9b-2	16M	1974	3295				HCU
x	1986	February	9A	back-9b-2	16M	1974	3295
x	1986	September	9A	back-9b-2	20M	1974	3295
x	1987	October	9A	back-9b-2	10M	1974	3295
x	1988	December	9B-1	back-9b-2	15M	1988	3295
	1989	not made
x	1990	February	9B-1	back-9b-2	18M	1988	3295
x	1991	March	9B-1	back-9c-1	18M	1988	3295
x	1992	March	9B-1	back-9c-2	18M	1988	33295	730176332956
x	1993	January	9B-1	back-9c-2	18M	1988	33295	730176332956
x	1994	January	9B-1	back-9d	18M	1988	33295	730176332956
x	1995	January	9B-1	back-9d	18M		33295	730176332956
x	1996	January	9B-1	back-9d	18M		33231	730176332314
	1997	not made
x	1998		9B-1	back-9e			33231	730176332314
x	1999		9B-2	back-9f			33231	730176332314
x	2000		9B-2	back-9f			33231	730176332314
x	2001		9B-2	back-9f			33231	730176332314
x	2002		9C-1	back-9f			33231A	730176332314
x	2003		9C-1	back-9g			33231A	730176332314
x	2004		9C-1	back-9g			33231A	730176332314
x	2005		9C-1	back-9g			33231A	730176332314
x	2006		9C-1	back-9g			33231A	730176332314
x	2007		9C-2	back-9h-2			33231A	730176332314
x	2007		9C-2	back-9h-2			33231A	730176332314				2nd printing
x	2008		10A	back-1008b4			35899	730176358994
x	2009		10B	back-1009b4			35820	730176358208
	2010	not made
x	2011		10C-1	back-1010b4			35820	730176358208
x	2012		10C-1	back-1010b4			35820	730176358208
x	2013		10C-2	back-1013b4			618587	730176357225				01268-AL
x	2014		10C-2	back-1013b4			618587	730176357225				01268-AL
	2015	not made
x	2016		10D-1	back-1016b1			618587	730176357225				01042-AL
x	2017		10D-1	back-1016b1			641450	730176324999				00432
	2018	not made
x	2019		10D-2	back-1019b1			654377	730176805122				358
	2020	not made
	2021	not made
x	2022		10D-2	back-1019b1			654377	730176805122				358
x	2023		10D-2	back-1019b1			654377	730176805122				358
x	2024		10D-2	back-1019b1			660533	7301766605335				00358n
x	2025		11A	back-1125			35899	7301766605335	660533	300081145		00358n

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1952	7,134	34	120
1953	5,934	35	105
1954	23,777	17	103
1955	26,557	16	100
1956	26,804	17	100
1957	27,701	17	100
1958	28,913	17	101
1959	30,522	17	101
1960	34,766	17	100
1961	35,888	17	101
1962	33,686	19	101
1963	33,433	20	102
1964	31,824	20	107
1965	29,616	20	109
1966	28,688	20	110
1967	32,807	20	112
1968	33,161	19	112
1969	36,616	17	113
1970	37,185	17	113
1971	36,189	15	113
1972	37,080	14	124
1973	37,301	16	122
1974	56,780	11	121
1975	58,511	11	128
1976	50,146	12	130
1977	40,227	16	130
1978	36,043	16	131
1979	30,691	18	132
1980	20,556	20	132
1981	30,319	20	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	29,726	24	123
1994
1995
1996	32,541	23	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	32,822	23	128
2001	31,123	23	129
2002	31,625	25	129
2003	30,325	26	130
2004	30,497	25	121
2005	27,203	25	121
2006	26,496	25	121
2007	26,769	25	121
2008	26,014	25	121
2009	28,692	23	122
2010	29,806	20	125
2011	32,048	19	129
2012	31,932	18	132
2013	29,788	15	129
2014	28,119	22	136
2015	26,050	23	138
2016	25,256	23	138
2017	24,343	23	139
2018	24,688	23	139
2019	23,589	22	139
2020	13,601	17	137
2021		20	137
2022		24	138
2023		23	138
2024		23	138
2025		22	141