(Statewide) - Anglers who purchased an Alaska sport fishing license in 2021 may soon receive a copy of the 2021 Alaska Sport Fishing Survey—an annual mail survey conducted by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) to assess where sport fishing occurs and estimate how many fish are caught and kept from sport fishing locations across Alaska.

This week, the ADF&G Division of Sport Fish will begin mailing the first wave of 2021 Alaska Sport Fishing Surveys. The survey is sent to approximately 47,000 randomly selected Alaska resident and nonresident households having at least one (1) person who purchased a sport fishing license or who holds a permanent form of license in 2021. Conducted every year since 1977, the Alaska Sport Fishing Survey is a scientific survey that asks anglers to recall basic information on the number of days fished by members of their household and to report the number of fish caught and harvested by species and location fished in 2021.

Selected angler households receive a detailed survey booklet and a full-color fish identification index. Postage-paid envelopes are provided for returning the survey to ADF&G.

The information collected by the Alaska Sport Fishing Survey is used to produce detailed estimates of the total sport fishing effort (days fished) and the total number of fish caught and kept by species and fishing location. This information, combined with other “on-the-ground” creel surveys and data gathering efforts is an essential part of the division’s mission to protect and improve Alaska’s sport fisheries.

Anglers who have questions about the survey or information requested may contact us at 907-267-2280 or by e-mail at: dfg.dsf.publications@alaska.gov. Results of the 2021 Alaska Sport Fishing Survey will be available by fall 2022. Results from previous survey years can be found on the Alaska Sport Fishing Survey website.

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