CREEL CLERKS TO BE INTERVIEWING ANGLERS IN NORTHEAST OHIO 

Angler surveys will once again resume on Ohio’s inland lakes for the summer. “Creel clerks” will be surveying anglers at six lakes in northeast Ohio and 18 lakes around Ohio on weekends from April 25th through July 26th, according to the ODNR Division of Wildlife.

“Our creel surveys provide us with an important tool to understand how anglers are using our reservoir fisheries, and ultimately tailor our activities to provide better fishing opportunities,” explained Chris Aman, fisheries biologist with the Division of Wildlife in Akron. “The data collected by our creel clerks include catch rates, sizes of harvested fish, and what aspects of the fishing experience are most important to anglers.” Questions concerning what the anglers have caught help biologists determine if stocking rates are appropriate for the few species that don’t successfully naturally reproduce in Ohio reservoirs. This creel information also influences whether length or bag limits are used to protect lakes from being overharvested. Other questions on the survey can help determine the benefit a fishery has to the local economy, or determine anglers’ preference of species. Division of Wildlife personnel also use this information to compile accurate weekly fishing reports that are distributed for the public’s use.

The survey takes approximately five minutes to complete and anyone approached by a creel clerk is asked for his/her patience and cooperation. The lakes that will be surveyed this year in the Division of Wildlife’s northeast Ohio district are Atwood Lake, Berlin Lake, Clendening Lake, East Reservoir, Tappan Lake, and West Reservoir.