Abstract: Based on the connotation and extension of the quality of economic development,the present study built an index system for the quality of recreational fishery development,adopted the comprehensive index method to measure the quality of recreational fishery development in 29 provinces of China from 2009 to 2018,and used the Gini coefficient(Gini),Theil index(GE₁) and the mean logarithmic deviation(GE₀) to comprehensively measure the regional differences and evolution trends of the development quality of recreational fishery.The present study found that there was an obvious regional difference in the development quality of recreational fishery in China,which was manifested as a gradient decline from coastal to inland areas.The regional differences in the quality of recreational fishery in the middle reaches were relatively large,while the regional differences in the provinces at both ends were relatively small,and the regional differences generally tend to shrink gradually.The largest difference was in the central region,followed by the west,and the smallest in the east,showing an inverted "U" shape.After 2015,the differences in the quality of recreational fishery development in the three major regions showed a clear pattern of differentiation.The intra-regional differences in the east,central,and west were the main factors affecting the regional differences in the quality of recreational fishery development in China.