“While we ultimately hope all kids get the chance to get outside and actually go fishing, we also think it is a great education opportunity to use art and writing to inspire children’s imagination to discover more about fish and fishing,” said Chrystal Sherwood, Educator at Georgia DNR’s Go Fish Education Center. “Please be sure to review all the different entry categories and submission details to ensure your student’s creative art pieces get the best chance to be part of the contest, and best of luck!”

How to Enter
Georgia students have two options; they can enter the International Fish Art Contest or the Go Fish Georgia contest. All entry forms can be found at FishArt.org.

• Go Fish Georgia Award: Students must use the Go Fish Education Center – Georgia Fish Art Award entry form.  For the Go Fish Georgia Award, students should focus on a native state fish species, or one introduced to the state, commonly sought by anglers.
• International Fish Art Contest: Students can feature any wild fish in its habitat.

New This Year:

• Students can now submit both one 2D entry and one 3D entry.
• 3D artwork has a separate entry form and judging process (state hosts are not responsible for 3D entries).
• A Form Finder tool is available online to help students and educators easily locate the correct entry form and understand their state’s contest rules.

Artwork & Writing Requirements
Students create an original, hand-done illustration (no digital or AI entries allowed). Participants in 4th grade and above also submit a brief piece of creative writing to showcase what they have learned. Plagiarism rules have also been clarified this year, with best practices shared to prevent copying. Entries found to be plagiarized may be disqualified. Wildlife Forever and contest partners will be more intentional about reviewing submissions before winners are announced.

Specialty Awards for 2025
In addition to state awards, students may qualify for one of several specialty awards (eligibility varies by species list and state host):

• Invader Crusader Award: Artwork featuring a native and invasive species found in the student’s local area.
• Great Lakes Fish Award: Artwork featuring a Great Lakes species (native, naturalized, or non-native).
• Guy Harvey Shark Award: Artwork featuring a shark species.
• Fish Habitat Writing Award: For creative writing responses about protecting aquatic ecosystems.
• Mighty Minnow Award: Celebrating kindergarten participants.
• Western Native Trout Award (TBD).
• (3D Only) IGFA Debris Division Award: 3D artwork created from plastic waste or found objects collected during habitat cleanups to form a gamefish.

Recognition
Top Georgia entries will be displayed at the Go Fish Education Center in Perry, Ga. (GoFishEducationCenter.com).

All entries are due by Feb. 28, 2026. They must be submitted digitally, but can also be mailed to:
Chrystal Sherwood / Go Fish Education Center (1255 Perry Parkway, Perry, GA 31069).

About the Contest
The Fish Art Contest is supported by Bass Pro Shops, the USDA Forest Service, the International Game Fish Association, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, Guy Harvey Foundation, Yamaha and Rapala.

More information on award categories, entry forms, FAQs and requirements can be found at FishArt.org.

###

About Wildlife Forever: Our mission is to conserve America’s wildlife heritage through conservation education, preservation of habitat and management of fish and wildlife. Wildlife Forever is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit conservation charity. Founded in 1987, Wildlife Forever has funded thousands of research and habitat restoration projects across North America. Signature programs focus on preventing invasive species, connecting youth to the outdoors through the Art of Conservation, and habitat restoration through Prairie City USA. For more, visit WildlifeForever.org.