Isle Royale National Park Inland Lakes Creel Survey

Visitor Contact Script for Distributing Questionnaires During Backcountry Permitting
Process, Isle Royale Creel Census, 2008

Procedure: Park backcountry permits are issued in-person when a visitor comes into one
of the park’s Visitor Centers. Rangers issue the backcountry permit and will ask the
visitor at that time if he/she also plans to fish the park’s inland lakes, and if so, would
he/she be willing to complete a questionnaire on inland lake fishing during their time in
the backcountry.
Park staff (at time of camping permit issuance): “Are you planning to fish in our inland
lakes during your stay?”
Visitor: “No.” (END OF CONTACT)
OR
Visitor: “Yes”
Park staff: “We are conducting a voluntary creel census of fishing in our inland lakes this
season. Here is the form (shows visitor the survey form.) You answer the questions on
the front side, and record information for each lake you fish on the back side. At the end
of your trip, you drop the form off here, or at one of the other visitor centers as you leave
the park. Would you be willing to participate?” (If “yes”, then the staff person gives the
survey form to the visitor with the permit.)
If there is more than one in the party:
Park staff: “We are conducting a voluntary creel census of fishing in our inland lakes this
season. How many in your party intend to fish? Is each angler willing to participate in
the survey?” If yes: “Each of you will need to complete your own survey form. Here is
the form (shows visitors the survey form.) You answer the questions on the front side,
and record information for each lake you fish on the back side. At the end of your trip,
you drop the forms off here or at one of the other visitor centers as you leave the park.
Additional information provided by staff to the visitor: This is the second creel census
the park has done for inland lakes; the first was conducted in 1997. It’s an important way
for the park to get information about fishing in the backcountry, and helps the park assess
the state of sport fish populations in its inland lakes.

FRONT-END FORM
TIME: ______________

DATE: ___/___/___

DATA COLLECTOR: _________________________________
WEATHER: _________________________________________
PROGRAM TYPE/LOCATION: ________________________
|-----Group Characteristics----------------------------|
Contact
Time

Refuse/
Survey I.D. #

Gender

Group
Size

# of Anglers in
Group

# of Children Present

Comments: Explain reason for refusal

OMB Number: ___________________
Expiration Date: _________________
2008 ISLE ROYALE INLAND LAKES SURVEY
The information from this survey will help Isle Royale staff track inland lake fish populations and angler activity. Please complete the
survey below (even if you don’t catch anything; we need to know that, too) and return it to a Visitor Center (Rock Harbor, Windigo,
or Houghton) at the end of your trip.
1. (Topic 1-Individual Characteristics) Visitor Permit Number: ______________________
2. (Topic 2- Trip/Visit Characteristics)

Date your park visit started: _____________________
Date your park visit ends: ______________________

3. (Topic 3- Individual Activities and Uses of Park Resources) Is fishing a primary objective of your trip to Isle Royale?
Yes___
No____
4. (Topic 3- Individual Activities and Uses of Park Resources) On this trip, did you also fish in Lake Superior before fishing the
inland lakes of Isle Royale? Yes_____ (go to question 4a)
No______ (skip to question 5)
4a. (Topic 3- Individual Activities and Uses of Park Resources) If yes, did you change your fishing line(s) prior to fishing the
inland lakes of Isle Royale? Yes___
No___
5. (Topic 2 - Individual Characteristics) Are you familiar with spiny water fleas?
Yes____ (Go to 5a)
No____ (Go to Question 6)
5a. (Topic 3- Individual Activities and Uses of Park Resources) During your inland fishing, did you seen any spiny water fleas
on your fishing line or in the water? Yes___
No___ (Go to Question 5c)
5b. If yes, please list the lake(s) where you saw them and whether they were on your line, in the water, or both.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
5c. (Topic 2 - Individual Characteristics) Are you familiar with Isle Royale’s program to prevent spiny water fleas in inland
lakes?
Yes____
No____

TOPIC AREA 3- Individual Activities and Uses of Park Resources
6. Please fill out the table below to show which inland lakes and streams you fished while in the backcountry.
EXAMPLE:
Lake/Stream

Date Fished

Richie

7/7

Hours Spent
Fishing*
3

Chickenbone

7/9

1

Lake/Stream

Date
Fished

Species
YEP
YEP
NOP
WAE

Hours
Spent
Fishing

Released or
Kept (R/K)
K
R
K
R

Species**

Number and Sizes
(2) 6”; (4) 5”; (1) 8”
(10) 3”
1- 27”
(1) 8”

Released
or Kept
(R/K)

Number and Sizes***

Canoe/Kayak/
Raft/ Shore
C
C
C
S

Canoe/Kayak/
Raft/ Shore

** Fish Codes: LKT-lake trout; NOP-northern pike; WAE-walleye; YEP-yellow perch; UNK-unknown; Other (please specify)
*** For large catches, an estimate of the number within a size range is fine: Example- YEP, (28) 4-6”

(Topic 6-Individual Perceptions of Their Park Experiences) Thanks very much for your help! Include any additional comments
here.

PRIVACY ACT and PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT statement:
16 U.S.C.1a-7 authorizes collection of this information. This information will be used by park managers to better serve the
public. Response to this request is voluntary. No action may be taken against you for refusing to supply the information
requested. The permanent data will be anonymous. Please do not put your name or that of any member of your group on
the questionnaire. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of
information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
Burden estimate statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 15 minutes per response.
Direct comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this form to:
Jean Battle
Isle Royale National Park
800 East Lakeshore Drive
Houghton, MI 49931
906-487-7154
[email protected]