Recreational Fishing and Socioeconomic Characteristics of Eastern Oklahoma Stream Anglers

We surveyed Oklahoma-licensed anglers who fished in eastern Oklahoma streams to describe their fishing preferences and socioeconomic characteristics. A screening telephone survey of 1992 Oklahoma license holders was conducted to identify individual license holders who fished in eastern Oklahoma streams and who would participate in a follow-up telephone survey. We also conducted personal interviews with anglers fishing in Baron Fork in northeastern Oklahoma and Glover River in southeastern Oklahoma. Based on 1147 completed screening surveys, an estimated 12% of Oklahoma license holders fished in and took one or more trips per year to eastern Oklahoma streams. Seventy percent of licensed anglers said they fished for black bass species, 53% fished for catfish, and less than 20% fished for other species such as temperate bass, sunfish, and trout. However, surveyed anglers who fished in Baron Fork sought black bass species more often than those who fished in Glover River. Eastern Oklahoma anglers used public areas more than private areas to access streams for fishing, and they fished from the bank or in a boat or canoe more often than by wading or in a float tube. Based on 100 completed follow-up surveys of eastern Oklahoma residents who held fishing licenses and who made trips to streams in the region in 1993, the average cost:benefit per trip ranged from $4.08:$8.31 to $12.10:$30.30, and those who fished averaged between 12.9 and 26.9 trips per year to streams. Estimated annual benefits for all trips to eastern Oklahoma streams were approximately $24 million in 1993. These findings verify the importance of eastern Oklahoma stream fishing to the economy of this region. © 2002 Oklahoma Academy of Science