Wyoming Game and Fish analyzing data from angler survey

CHEYENNE (WNE) — Last fall, an angler survey was conducted for Laramie Region fisheries. The survey aimed to gather information about targeted fish species, satisfaction with regional fisheries and opinions on regulations and management of specific fisheries in the region.

It was emailed to resident anglers who held daily, annual or lifetime Wyoming fishing licenses in 2023 and live in the Laramie region, along with nonresident anglers who held an annual fishing license in 2023.

Nearly 40,000 anglers received the survey, including anglers from all 50 states.

Of those, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department received 4,342 usable responses, with residents and nonresidents each composing about half of the usable responses received. A usable response required the participant to have recorded that they had fished in the Laramie region within the last five years.

The majority of survey respondents ranked fishing for trout as somewhat or very important. Anglers were more split on the importance of fishing for non-trout species.

Wyoming resident anglers had a higher average rank of importance for this question compared to nonresident anglers, confirming that resident anglers value fishing opportunities for both trout and non-trout species.

Fisheries biologists are continuing to analyze the survey data collected and plan to host an informational meeting in the fall to present the survey results and discuss local fisheries.

This story was published on August 9, 2024.