The U.S. Inland Creel and Angler Survey Catalog (CreelCat): Development, Applications, and Opportunities

Abstract

Inland recreational fishing, defined as primarily leisure‐driven fishing in freshwaters, is a popular pastime in the USA. State natural resource agencies endeavor to provide high‐quality and sustainable fishing opportunities for anglers. Managers often use creel and other angler survey data to inform state‐ and waterbody‐level management efforts. Despite the broad implementation of angler surveys and their importance to fisheries management at state scales, regional and national coordination among these activities is minimal, limiting data applicability for larger‐scale management practices and research. Here, we introduce the U.S. Inland Creel and Angler Survey Catalog (CreelCat), a first‐of‐its‐kind, publicly available national database of angler survey data that establishes a baseline of national inland recreational fishing metrics. We highlight research and management applications to help support sustainable inland recreational fishing practices, consider cautions, and make recommendations for implementation.

Estimating lentic recreational fisheries catch and effort across the United States

“…Creel surveys are often used to gather information related to waterbody‐specific management concerns, so the timing and location of creel surveys are often non‐random (Lynch et al, 2021). Targeting specific waterbodies, possibly with unique management challenges, can bias estimates of recreational fishing effort and catch in relation to their applicability to other random waterbodies elsewhere.…”

“…Recreational fisheries catch and effort data from lentic waterbodies (e.g., lakes, ponds, impoundments) were from the CreelCat database (Lynch et al, 2021; Sievert et al, 2023; Sievert & Lynch, 2023). Data consisted of creel survey data collected by state agencies throughout the U.S. Creel surveys used angler counts and interviews to estimate waterbody‐level catch and effort for a survey period.…”

“…Creel surveys are often used to gather information related to waterbody-specific management concerns, so the timing and location of creel surveys are often non-random (Lynch et al, 2021).…”

“…Although information captured by creel surveys is often used to address local management concerns, the ability to identify patterns among waterbodies at broader spatial and temporal scales is critical to advancing understanding of these systems. Recently, data from creel surveys across the U.S. were made publicly available in a database known as the U.S. Inland Creel and Angler Survey Catalog (CreelCat; Lynch et al, 2021; Sievert et al, 2023; Sievert & Lynch, 2023). The CreelCat database provides access to detailed information characterizing angler catch and effort at the waterbody level.…”

“…Recently, data from creel surveys across the U.S. were made publicly available in a database known as the U.S. Inland Creel and Angler Survey Catalog (CreelCat; Lynch et al, 2021;. The CreelCat database provides access to detailed information characterizing angler catch and effort at the waterbody level.…”