Florida Fish Art Contest

The Fish Art Contest, inspired by a 5th grader's homework assignment, has grown into an international competition introducing youth to the wonders of fishing and the outdoors. Wildlife Forever organizes the competition each year and coordinates their efforts with host states around the country. Wildlife Forever will announce the winners on their website approximately one month after the closing of the contest. The FWC will also announce the winners on social media, in a press release, and on our website below.

Stay tuned for announcements on next year's contest, which opens September 1, 2025.

The Fish Art Contest is open to all youth in grades K-12 (ages 5-18). To participate each youth will need to submit a completed entry form, and a one-page creative writing submission (required for grades 4-12), and an original piece of artwork featuring any fish including one or more of the following Florida native species from the same category below.

• Category 1 – Freshwater: Largemouth Bass, Striped Bass, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Redear Sunfish, Spotted Sunfish, Channel Catfish, Florida Gar, Chain Pickerel, Bowfin
• Category 2 – Saltwater: Snook, Redfish, Spotted Seatrout, Flounder, Tarpon, Mahi-Mahi, Spanish Mackerel, Hogfish, Queen Snapper, Black Grouper

• Only one entry is allowed per person each year, previous entries are not eligible.
• Art must feature any fish species of choice from the list above in their natural habitats.
• Artwork must be in hand-done 2D mediums (paint, colored pencil, crayon, marker, collage, etc).
• Art must be free of writing including signatures or initials.
• The writing submission could include but is not limited to a story, poem, song lyrics, or persuasive essay showing the contestants knowledge, connection to and/or understanding of their chosen fish. The writing should be no more than one page single-sided, typed preferred (12-point font, Times New Roman), with the contestant's name, grade, and state on the back. 
• Artwork and writing must be the contestant’s unique, original hand-done creation, you may not reproduce any other artists work and present it as your own in any medium or use any digital mediums, computers, or AI generation.
• Participants are allowed to use photos, videos, and artwork, including those of past Fish Art participants as inspiration only when creating your artwork. If you have questions about what constitutes inspiration, we encourage you to speak with an art teacher, adult in your life, or some other person who can help get you the information you need, as we cannot provide legal guidance to you. Inspirational references used must be cited on the participants entry form with the source and original author of the work named. Any artwork or writing considered to potentially infringe on another’s intellectual property will be disqualified from the contest. Any artwork or writing that appears to be an exact replica, in whole or substantial part, of another’s work will be disqualified.

Dive into the world of science, art, and conservation with the Wildlife Forever's brand new FishOn! Lesson Plans! Explore their collection of lesson plans designed to accompany the Art of Conservation Fish Art Contest. Featuring captivating science explorations, their lessons offer a cross curricular way to ignite curiosity and foster a deeper understanding of the natural world. This program is designed for teachers seeking innovative resources, and can be customized to suite a range of classrooms and age ranges. Join us in empowering the next generation of conservationists through creativity and education.

One first-place winner and one runner-up will be selected from each grade bracket (kindergarten through third grade, fourth through sixth grade, seventh through ninth grade, and tenth through twelfth grade), one for illustrating the best freshwater fish species and one for the best saltwater fish species.

First-place Prizes:

• All first-place winners will receive a fishing rod and reel combo and have their artwork advance to the national competition, displayed in FWC offices in Tallahassee, displayed in the FWC’s freshwater or saltwater regulations guide, and receive a signed certificate by either the Division of Freshwater Fisheries Management Director or the Division of Marine Fisheries Management Director.

• In addition, winners in the 10-12 grade bracket will receive 10 t-shirts printed with their artwork to give to family and friends from our partner The Florida Nomad.

* A copy of the regulations guide will be included with the certificate.

Runners-up Prizes:

• All runners-up will receive a fishing rod and reel combo and a signed certificate by either the Division of Freshwater Fisheries Management Director or the Division of Marine Fisheries Management Director.

GoOutdoorsFlorida Hard Card Recognition: One lucky artist may be selected from among all artwork submissions, from any grade bracket, to have their artwork available as a hard card selection for their fishing license. Hard cards are available to purchase, at an additional fee, to anyone who obtains or already holds a fishing or hunting license from the Go Outdoors Florida licensing system. A hard card is a collectible, credit-card style document that is an alternative to an electronic or paper license. The selected artist will NOT be sent a complimentary license or hard card.

The FWC partners with organizations in the fishing industry to support the Florida Fish Art Contest. Our partners donate prizing to the contest which are given to the top student artists.

Note: Neither the FWC nor the State of Florida endorse any individual company, and each company is solely responsible for their products/services and fulfillment of any offers. State laws prohibit false claims or fraud when claiming prizes.