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Approximately 2.8 million people visited Yellowstone National Park in 2000. The National Park Service issued 67,687 fishing permits this year, and anglers returned 3,798 usable Volunteer Angler Report catch cards (5.6 % of those issued). Exit gate surveys, where visitors are interviewed as they leave the park, revealed that nearly 4 % of anglers who purchased a fishing permit did not fish, which resulted in an estimate of 65,990 total anglers fishing in 2000. The following sport fishery statistics were estimated using data from exit gate surveys and the volunteer angler report system.
In 2000, parkwide angler use (total number of days anglers spent fishing) was 264,250, and total hours spent fishing was estimated at 712,642 hrs. Anglers landed 713,990 fish and creeled only 22,109, releasing more than 97 % of all fish landed. The average angler fished 2.8 days, 1.4 different waters/day, and 2.7 hours/day in 2000. Mean annual landing and creel rates were 1.00 and 0.03 fish/hour, respectively. Nearly 81 % of single-day anglers landed one or more fish.
Cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki were the most frequently captured fish in 2000 (59%), followed by rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (16%), brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis (9%), and brown trout Salmo trutta (8%). Lake trout Salvelinus namaycush, arctic grayling Thymallus arcticus, mountain whitefish Prosopium williamsoni, and unidentified fishes made up the remaining 8 % of angler landed fish.
Mean length of 33,465 fish reported landed from the volunteer angler report system was 12.9 inches (328 mm); 59 % of these fish were >12 inches (305 mm), and 47 % were >14 inches (356 mm). Lake trout had the greatest average length (17.6 inches; 447 mm), followed by cutthroat trout (14.4 inches; 366 mm), mountain whitefish (12.4 inches; 315 mm), brown trout (12.0 inches; 305 mm), rainbow trout (10.6 inches; 269 mm), arctic grayling (10.1 inches; 257 mm), and brook trout (6.9 inches; 175 mm).
An estimated 83 % of park anglers reported being satisfied with their overall fishing experience in 2000; 72 % and 78 %, respectively, reported being satisfied with numbers and sizes of fish landed. Satisfied anglers landed about 1.1 fish/hour (mean length, 13.0 inches or 330 mm) and 3 fish/day. Anglers unsatisfied with their fishing experience landed over 1 fish/day (0.6 fish/hour) that were smaller (mean length, 11.2 inches or 284 mm) in size. Mean angler-skill level was 1.98 (experienced). Fishery statistics for 23 lakes and streams that collectively constituted approximately 96 % of reported parkwide angler use in 2000 are listed in Table 1. Parkwide angling statistics for the period 1975-2000 are listed in Tables 2 and Table 3.
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Table 3. Estimates of park visitors, fishing permits issued, total parkwide anglers, and total parkwide angler days in Yellowstone National Park, 1975-2000.
Year
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Total Park Visitors
|
Total Park Fishing Permits*
|
Total Parkwide Anglers
|
Total Parkwide Angler Days
|
95% Confidence Limits
|
1975
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2,246,100
|
191,600
|
136,300
|
257,300
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248,400 - 266,300
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1976
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2,525,200
|
213,200
|
151,700
|
284,200
|
278,500 - 298,900
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1977
|
2,487,100
|
217,000
|
154,600
|
311,300
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304,000 - 318,500
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1978
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2,623,100
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218,000
|
155,700
|
333,800
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326,200 - 341,300
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1979
|
1,891,900
|
195,100
|
139,100
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291,300
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274,500 - 308,200
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1980
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2,009,600
|
184,200
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130,800
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311,300
|
287,000 - 334,600
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1981
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2,544,200
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172,300
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160,000
|
383,400
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363,400 - 403,300
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1982
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2,404,900
|
205,000
|
152,000
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332,500
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314,700 - 350,300
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1983
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2,405,700
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166,800
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120,500
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275,900
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261,800 - 289,900
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1984
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2,263,000
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176,800
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135,000
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329,200
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305,400 - 341,000
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1985
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2,262,500
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166,700
|
123,800
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279,000
|
260,800 - 297,200
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1986
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2,405,100
|
163,300
|
124,900
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294,800
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269,300 - 320,400
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1987
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2,618,200
|
183,900
|
151,500
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370,900
|
349,100 - 392,800
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1988
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2,219,100
|
165,700
|
134,600
|
293,800
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272,700 - 314,900
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1989
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2,680,400
|
159,200
|
124,400
|
320,900
|
301,100 - 340,700
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1990
|
2,857,100
|
171,700
|
150,400
|
422,100
|
386,700 - 457,500
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1991
|
2,957,900
|
187,200
|
161,100
|
403,100
|
372,500 - 433,800
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1992
|
3,142,600
|
157,800
|
130,800
|
343,400
|
324,200 - 362,700
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1993
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2,912,200
|
161,000
|
141,100
|
398,100
|
371,400 - 424,700
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1994
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3,046,100
|
90,800
|
88,300
|
237,700
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223,000 - 252,300
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1995
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3,125,300
|
87,600
|
85,400
|
270,000
|
237,300 - 302,300
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1996
|
3,012,200
|
69,200
|
69,600
|
233,900
|
248,900 - 218,900
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1997
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2,889,500
|
67,900
|
67,000
|
240,100
|
263,700 - 216,500
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1998
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3,120,830
|
71,800
|
70,700
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232,300
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249,300 - 215,200
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1999
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3,130,400 |
70,200 |
67,700 |
233,700 |
203,700 – 263,800 |
2000
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2,838,200 |
67,100 |
65,990 |
264,300 |
219,000 – 309,400 |
* Prior to 1994, data is based on the number of free permits issued. Beginning in 1994, data is based on number of permits sold.
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