FISH FACTS
FISHING IS POPULAR!
- School children selected the bluegill as the state fish in 1986. Although
the bluegill grows to only about 9 inches in length and weighs less
than a pound, it has a reputation as one of the best fighting game fish.
- Fishing continues to be a favorite pastime of the
American people. Nationwide, one in six people go fishing!
- A recent nationwide Harris Poll found that fishing
was ranked the most popular outdoor activity in America and was the
4th favorite leisure pastime, behind reading, watching TV,
and spending time with family.
Fishing
is Big Business
Every time someone goes fishing in Illinois, they help create jobs,
increasing retail sales and tax revenue right here at home. Most anglers
don't realize what an important contribution they are making to our
economy and way of life.
■ Nationwide,
anglers spent about $41.5 billion in retail sales pursuing their sport
during 2001.
■ $736,575,125
in retail sales was generated by Illinois anglers, which rippled through
the economy to generate $1.6 billion in economic output for the state.
■ The
Illinois fishing industry supports nearly 13,000 jobs and those workers
earned $398 million in salaries and wages.
■ Fishing-related
purchases in Illinois generated $9 million in state tax revenues and
$73 million in federal income tax.
■ Illinois
annually receives more than $5 million of Federal Aid for Sport Fish
Restoration funds from excise taxes paid by anglers on purchases
of fishing equipment and tackle. This money funds fisheries management
and research.
Sport
Fishing Participation
■ Every
year 1.2 million Illinois anglers (including kids less than 16 years
old) fish 16.1 million days.
■ 15%
of Illinois’ resident anglers are also hunters: 58% of Illinois’
resident hunters are also anglers.
■ Licensed
resident anglers fish an average of 13 days/yr. In Illinois; licensed
non-resident anglers fish an average of 5 days/year in Illinois.
■ Anglers
spend an average of $37/angling day in Illinois for all fishing related
expenses including: transportation, food, lodging, bait, equipment,
clothing, boat, fuel, magazines, rentals, access fees, licenses, etc.
■ Most
fishing trips in Illinois occur during May, June, and July.
■ Most
fishing trips are to :
Lakes
& Ponds - 61 %
Streams
& Small Rivers - 15 %
Large
Boundary Rivers - 12 %
Lake
Michigan (Illinois Portion) - 6 %
Corps
of Engineers Reservoirs - 6 %
■ The
greatest number of fishing trips are spent seeking largemouth bass (25
%), followed by catfish (17 %), crappie (15 %), and sunfish (11 %).
■ The
kinds of fish most often harvested by anglers are: sunfish (32 %), crappie
(26 %), catfish (14 %), white bass and yellow bass ( 6 %), and largemouth
bass (5 %).
Fisheries
Resources in Illinois
■ Illinois has more than 1.6 million acres of
surface waters including:
■ Illinois' portion of Lake Michigan 976,640
acres
■ Three U.S. Corps of Engineers Reservoirs 54,580
acres - Shelbyville, Carlyle, and Rend Lakes
■ More than 91,150 lakes and ponds 263,900 acres
■ More than 26,400 miles of rivers and
streams 325,000 acres
■ About 203 different species of fish occur in Illinois waters.
■ The IDNR Division of Fisheries operates
four fish hatcheries to annually produces more than 50 million fish of
18 species for stocking into Illinois waters statewide.
■ Some of the more popular species that are stocked
and managed for sport fishing include: largemouth bass, walleye, coho
salmon, smallmouth bass, muskie, chinook salmon, bluegill, striped bass,
lake trout, crappie, northern pike, brown trout, channel catfish, rainbow
trout, skamania, and steelhead trout
Fisheries
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