Creel surveys conducted in interior Alaska during 1992

Alternate Titles

• Federal aid in sport fish restoration (Alaska)

Description

Creel surveys were conducted on three of the major fisheries within the Tanana River drainage, Alaska, during 1992. These fisheries included (1) Chatanika River whitefish spear fishery, (2) Fielding Lake Arctic grayling Thymallus arcticus sport fishery, and (3) Salcha River chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha sport fishery. Angler effort, harvest and the distribution of harvest of whitefish by angler trip, and angler demographics was estimated for the Chatanika River whitefish spear fishery. The distribution of satisfaction ratings of Arctic grayling harvested by anglers in each Relative Stock Density (RSD) category and in each age class was estimated at the Fielding Lake Arctic grayling fishery. Angler demographics along with effort, catch, and harvest were estimated for the Salcha River chinook salmon fishery. At the Chatanika River, spear fishermen expended a total of 1,239 hours (SE = 16) to harvest an estimated 1,898 (SE = 49) least cisco Coregonus sardinella, and 392 (SE = 9) humpback whitefish Coregonus pidschian. Sixty-one percent (SE = 1.3) of all spear fishers harvested at least one or more whitefish. Angler satisfaction ratings generally increased with each increasing Relative Stock Density (RSD) category and with increasing age for Arctic grayling harvested at Fielding Lake. The creel survey at the Salcha River chinook salmon sport fishery was conducted from July 10 through the July 24, at which time the fishery was closed by emergency order. During this period anglers expended an estimated 1,820 (SE = 439), angler-hours of effort to catch a total of eight (SE = 4) chinook salmon, of which 4 (SE = 3), were harvested.

Subjects

Series Statement

• Fishery data series -- no. 93-7.

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