Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: Nebraska
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

There exists interplay between angler participation and quality of fish in a lake. Variability in recruitment of fish among lakes should increase dispersion in densities of fish across a region, whereas movement of anglers among lakes should decrease dispersion in densities of fish across a region. Unlike fishery management efforts that in general operate on a local scale (i.e., single lake), these counteractive forces are likely stronger on a regional scale. Thus, incorporation of spatial and temporal patterns in angler participation into fishery management likely will require a shift in focus from lake-specific management to regional management. This shift in focus would be facilitated by an understanding of angler-participation patterns. The goals of this study are to understand 1) the participation patterns of anglers on multiple spatial and temporal scales; 2) how participation patterns of anglers’ influence fish populations and associated communities; 3) how management actions influence angler participation patterns and, in turn, fish communities; and 4) interactions and feedback mechanisms between and among angler groups and fish communities. Study findings should help biologists better determine appropriate lake-specific management objectives given the dynamic nature of angler participation and its interrelationship with fish populations.