Contributors
Abstract
Lake Erie is the shallowest, southernmost and warmest of the Great Lakes. These characteristics combine to make it the most biologically productive, supporting abundant fish stocks including popular sport fish species such as Walleye and Yellow Perch. Ohio’s Lake Erie coast offers great access for recreational anglers, including a robust and economically important charter fishing industry.
However, environmental conditions, economic climate and individual angler behaviors may all change over time. These changes could also impact the charter fishing industry. In early 2021, all captains who were licensed fishing guides during the 2020 season were invited to participate in an electronic survey. The first contact was by mail, followed by three reminder emails. The population of captains that received the survey was 787 and the response rate was 46%. This was the eighth survey of the Ohio Lake Erie charter fishing industry since 1985. The goal was to gauge the attitudes, characteristics and economic impacts of the industry for the 2020 season and document any changes from previous surveys. This information can be useful to captains, resource managers, local communities and decision makers assessing the health and needs of the industry.
