Y08l MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES FISHERIES DIVISION Technical Report: No. 1980-4 July 1980 MICHIGAN'S 1979 SPORT FISHERY* Gale C. Jamsen, Information Manager SUMMARY In 1979 licensed anglers spent approximately 20.6 million days fishing in the State of Michigan. Great Lakes and anadromous salmonid fishing accounted for approximately 38 percent of the fishing effort or about 7.9 million angler-days, while anglers spent approximately 12.7 million days fishing inland lakes and streams in 1979. *A contribution of Federal Aid in Fisheries and Wildlife Restoration, Michigan Project FW-3-R ( S-o MICHIGAN'S 1979 SPORT FISHERY Gale C. Jamsen, Information Manager INTRODUCTION A one percent representative sample of sport fishermen licensed in Michigan was surveyed by mail about their 1979 fishing activity. Survey objectives were to assess the recreational benefits resulting from sport fishing in Michigan for the purpose of guiding public and private investment in fishing and related programs. SURVEY PROCEDURES The survey sample was selected from carbon copies of the 1.4 million fishing licenses sold in 1979. Licensed anglers were selected systematically with a random start. The sampling rate did not include (a) spouses of license holders who receive a free license, (b) anglers under 17 who may legally fish without a license, (c) anglers who fish only on private lakes where a license is not needed, and (d) resident members of the armed services in possession of furlough papers. The catch and fishing effort of these individuals are not represented in the estimates. Several postcard reminders and another questionnaire were sent to those individuals who failed to respond. Approximately 79 percent of the delivered questionnaires were returned. The survey data were collected so that Michigan fishing could be separated into five categories: (1) Great Lakes salmonid, (2) Great Lakes non-salmonid, (3) anadromous salmon and trout, (4) inland trout, and (5) inland non-trout. Within each of these five major categories, catch and effort estimates were generated by computer for the state and for smaller geographic units (e.g. counties and state planning regions). Origin-destination matrices for angling effort were also generated. These data are not presented in this report, but are available from this Office. SURVEY RESULTS Sport fishing catch and effort estimates are presented by fisheries management districts (Table 1 and Figure 1). In addition, Great Lakes fishing is presented in Tables 2 and 3. To eliminate confusion, the common and scientific names of sport fish species are provided (Table 4). Upper Great Lakes salmon and trout fishing (Table 2) amounted to 2 million angler-days by 265,000 anglers. An additional 1.5 million days of salmon and steelhead fishing were enjoyed by 208,000 anglers on tributary streams -2 - of the Great Lakes. Many of these anglers also fished for salmon on the Great Lakes. Lake Michigan and its tributary streams was the primary focus of angler activity. Sixty-eight percent of the fishing effort occurred there. Anglers on Lake Michigan and its major tributary streams also accounted for 67, 71, 74, and 83 percent of the total catch of lake trout, steelhead trout, coho salmon, and chinook salmon, respectively. Anglers numbering 371,000 were estimated to have spent 4 million days fishing for non-salmonids on the Great Lakes in 1979 (Table 3). The fish of primary importance was the yellow perch. It accounts for 74 percent of the non-salmonid hook and line catch. Lake St. Clair and Saginaw Bay receive the heaviest fishing pressure for perch, panfish, game fish (walleyes, bass, northern pike and muskellunge), and suckers on the Great Lakes. Saginaw Bay is the location of 51 percent of the non-salmonid fishing effort expended on Lake Huron. Lake Huron and Lake St. Clair fishermen accounted for 77 percent of the total Great Lakes non-salmonid fishing pressure and 76 percent of the total perch catch. Inland fishing, lake and stream fishing for species that do not spend time in the Great Lakes, retained its level of importance by accounting for 62 percent of the fishing effort in the state in 1979. Inland lake activity accounted for 75 percent of the 12.7 million inland fishing days. Houghton Lake (227,000 angler-days) was the most popular inland lake in the state with more than twice as many fishing days as any other lake. The AuSable River (360,000 angler-days) again was the leader in attracting river fishermen. The Muskegon River was second (299,000 angler-days) and the St. Joseph third with 265,000 days of fishing. These figures include sport fishing for anadromous salmon and trout. Fi gure 1 FISHERIES MANAGMN DITCS SEAlE TRAERE MASONARLAKTTEOLCEOA CA OADN 3 SCTWSCOAA me Am l EMMETA tLPMSFE APEE Table 1. Michigan sport fish catch and effort estimates* (thousands) by fisheries management district in 1979. Districts** 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 12 13 14 TOTAL Districts Lake Trout/ Splake 120 1 25 20 91 200 44 3 140 19 140 0 1 820 N. Pike/ Musky Rainbow Steelhead 62 18 130 34 83 280 110 32 140 7 130 6 12 1100 Yellow Perch 340 600 1300 1900 1000 1200 1800 4800 1400 6000 1200 3600 3300 2900 Brown Trout 22 10 53 19 81 220 180 44 120 22 110 15 6 Brook Trout 80 100 220 100 160 100 160 24 48 1 21 1 1 Coho Salmon 27 2 52 14 20 190 55 3 130 18 180 2 14 700 Chinook Salmon 12 3 16 10 65 360 110 9 270 4 200 0 1 1100 900 1000 Walleye/ Sauger 150 109 66 120 140 130 90 20 16 540 9 570 900 2900 AnglerDays 590 390 670 690 1400 2600 1800 1300 2000 1900 2800 2000 2600 21000 Bass 58 70 44 63 270 320 260 200 290 290 530 420 470 3300 Panfish*** Bullhead Sucker Other**** 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 12 13 14 84 71 71 200 230 170 230 92 130 120 93 89 110 650 510 170 570 1400 3000 2900 3100 4100 2700 9100 5200 4900 3800 9 23 10 140 210 76 180 340 382 350 530 450 260 3000 2 25 45 70 270 72 110 440 220 570 190 210 190 2400 1 4 9 34 13 64 25 140 80 260 76 130 240 1100 Anglers 58 31 47 80 120 240 190 130 160 150 180 150 190 1200 TOTAL 1700 * Numbers rounded to two significant figures ** See Figure 1 for map of Fisheries Management District *** Bluegill, Sunfish, and Rock Bass **** Does not include smelt and Great Lakes whitefish and cisco -5 - Table 2. Michigan steelhead trout and salmon sport fish catch and effort estimates* (thousands) on the Upper Great Lakes in 1979. GREAT LAKE Open Water Michigan Superior Huron TOTAL Steelhead 150 37 28 220 Coho Salmon 370 49 47 460 Chinook Salmon 530 9 78 620 Angler-Days 1300 250 440 2000 Tributary Streams Michigan Superior Huron TOTAL Steelhead 270 56 46 370 Coho Salmon 150 29 40 220 Chinook Salmon 340 13 78 440 Angler-Days 1100 130 210 1500 TOTAL for Great Lakes and Their Tributary Streams Michigan Superior Huron TOTAL Steelhead 420 92 74 590 Coho Salmon 520 78 87 680 Chinook Salmon 870 22 160 1100 Angler-Days 2500 380 660 3500 Table 3. Michigan non-salmonid sport fish catch and effort estimates* (thousands) on the Great Lakes in 1979. GREAT LAKE Perch Walleye Northern Bass Panfish Pike AnglerDays Michigan Superior Huron St. Clair Erie 1500 160 11000 3700 3000 35 3 97 1400 570 61 0 130 180 23 110 22 720 1100 270 44 30 150 70 2 390 58 1200 1900 490 TOTAL 19000 2100 390 2200:290 4000 -6 - SELECTED REFERENCES ON SPORT FISHING IN MICHIGAN Jamsen, G. C., J. R. Ryckman, and F. W. Jamsen. '1970. Michigan's 1969 salmon and trout sport fishery. Michigan Dept. Nat. Res., Research and Development Rept. 203. 10pp. Jamsen, G. C., and Paul V. Ellefson. 1970. Michigan's 1970 sport fishery, January 1 - April 24. Michigan Dept. Nat. Res., Research and Development Rept. 211. 4 pp. Jamsen, G. C., and Paul V. Ellefson. 1971a. Michigan's 1970 sport fishery, April 25 - August 31. Michigan Dept. Nat. Res., Research and Development Rept. 234. 5 pp. Jamsen, G. C., and Paul V. Ellefson. 1971b. Michigan's 1970 sport fishery, September 1 - December 31. Michigan Dept. Nat. Res., Research and Development Rept. 235. 5 pp. Jamsen, G. C. 1972. Michigan's 1971 sport fishery. Michigan Dept. Nat. Res., Research and Development Rept. 268. 7 pp. Michigan Dept. Nat. Res. 1973. Michigan's Great Lakes trout and salmon fishery (1969 - 1972). Michigan Dept. Nat. Res., Fisheries Management Rept. 5. 105 pp. Jamsen, G. C. 1973. Michigan's 1972 sport fishery. Michigan Dept. Nat. Res., Surveys and Stat. Serv. Rept. 122. 6 pp. Jamsen, G. C. 1974. Michigan's 1973 sport fishery. Michigan Dept. Nat. Res., Surveys and Stat. Serv. Rept. 133. 7 pp. Bailey, R. J., and G. C. Jamsen. 1975. Michigan's 1973 fisherman opinion survey. Michigan Dept. Nat. Res., Surveys and Stat. Serv. Rept. 147. 5 pp. Jamsen, G. C., and R. J. Bailey. 1975. Geographic preference of fishing license revenue allocation. Michigan Dept. Nat. Res., Surveys and Stat. Serv. Rept. 148. 2 pp. Jamsen, G. C. 1975. Fishermen vs. non-fishermen conflicts in Michigan. Michigan Dept. Nat. Res., Surveys and Stat. Serv. Rept. 149. 5 pp. Jamsen, G. C. 1976. Michigan's 1975 sport fishery. Michigan Dept. Nat. Res., Surveys and Stat. Serv. Rept. 156. 7 pp. Jamsen, G. C. 1977. Michigan's 1976 sport fishery. Michigan Dept. Nat. Res., Surveys and Stat. Serv. Rept. 165. 7 pp. Werther, J. D. 1978. Michigan's 1977 sport fishery. Michigan Dept. Nat. Res., Surveys and Stat. Serv. Rept. 175. 7 pp. -7-. ýSELECTED REFERENCES8 ON 'SPORT FISHING. d-N 'MICHIGAN -Jamsen, G.... and D. H. -Burck.: 1, l979. Residence. of licensed f ishermen in -Michiga~n,. 1978. Michigan Dept. Nat..Res*., Surveys -an-d Stat. Serv. Rept. 178. 7 pp. Jamson,- w-zCe. 1979,.-,Mi~chigan's 1~978 sport. fishery. -Michilgan D~ept.. Nat., Re-s*;Svy. and Stat. -Serv. Rept.. 183.. 8 li.-, Jamsen, G. C. 1980. Michigan's 1979-sport fishery,.Michigan Dept. Nat. '~Res-.- -':Fisheries -Div. -Tech. Rept. 1980-4.':8 'pp.. -8 - Table 4. Common and scientific names of sport fish species. Questionnaire List Common Name Scientific Name Perch Yellow perch Walleye Wall1eye, Sauger Sauger Bass Largemouth bass Smallmouth bass Bluegill Bluegill Sunfish Rock bass White bass Crappie Bull1head Pumpki nseed Rock bass White bass Black crappie White crappie Black bullhead Brown bull1head Yellow bullhead Perca flZdvescens Stizostedion vitreum' Stizos tedion.i canczdense.Mtcropterus sa Imoides Mtcropterw-s do lomieui Lepornis m'a'cr'ochirus.Lepomis gibou AmblZop i tes. rupes tris Roccus chrys-ops Pomoxis nig'romacu Lctus Pomoxis annul~aris Ictalurus melZas ITctalurus nebulosus Ictczlurus'nataciis Ictcziuxus punctcztus Pylodictis olivaris Catfish I Channel'catfish!li-Flatfish catfish Musky Northern pike Muskel1unge Northern pike Sucker family -Es-ax masquinongy Esox'lucius Catostomidae Suckers Whi tefi1*sh Menomi nee Cisco (Lake herring) Lake trout Rainbow trout Brown trout Brook trout Atlantic salmon. Coho salmon Chinook salmon. Lake whitefish Round whitefish Shallowwater cisco Lake trout Rainbow trout Brown trout Brook trout Atlantic salmon Coho salmon Chinook salmon Core gonus c lupeaformis Prosopiwn cy lindircceum Core gonus artedji Salve lZinus naniaycush SalZmo gairdneri Salmo trutta. Salve linus fontinalis SalZmo salar,= Oncorhynchus, kisutch Oncorhynchus tshaw~ytscha Osmer~us mordax Smel t American smelt ~ ~