Economic Impact and Social Benefits Study of Coldwater Angling in Minnesota

Photos of a sucessful ice fisherman holding his catch.Although walleye is the fish species most often associated with Minnesota fishing, trout and salmon fishing opportunities are abundant. Lakes, streams, Lake Superior and its tributaries all attract the coldwater (i.e. trout and salmon) angler. The importance of this activity in terms of what people spend to catch trout and salmon plus the intrinsic rewards they receive from doing so is the focus of this research project.

In early March continuing through fall 2001 questionnaires were sent to a sample of Minnesota fishing license holders that possess a trout/salmon stamp or have used the one-day or three-day license option to fish for trout or salmon. The method used for this work is a staggered mail survey, meaning a set number of questionnaires were sent each week to a random sample of license holders. For the most time sensitive information, such as amount of money spent on the trip, only the most recent trout and/or salmon fishing experience was investigated. This was intended to reduce the incidence of recall bias. Other sections of the questionnaire obtain information about fishing experiences one might have had during the last year, preferences for fish species on various resources (e.g. streams, lakes) and demographic profiles.

Photo of sled dogs.
Dogsled is one of the more interesting travel modes to access lake trout. For more information on dogsled access to the Boundary Waters contact the Ely Area Chamber of Commerce.

This project was funded by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Read the final report:
Final Coldwater Angling Study Report (1.7 MB .pdf)

For more information about the project contact:
David Fulton, Principal Investigator, Dept. of Fisheries and Wildlife (fulto012@umn.edu)
Bill Gartner, Co-Principal Investigator



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