Recreational Fishing Data

Several recent NOAA initiatives to improve recreational data include Effort Survey Improvements (handout), the Recreational Angler Partnership Improvement Directive (RAPID - handout), and several Executive Orders that RAPID will support.

Recreational Fishing Data Collection

In the Mid-Atlantic region, MRIP administers three general surveys to collect data to produce general recreational catch and effort estimates:

1. The Access Point Angler Intercept Survey (APAIS) is an in-person survey conducted at marinas, boat ramps, beaches, fishing piers, and other publicly accessible fishing sites. Trained samplers from state agencies interview anglers about their trips and catches.

2. The Fishing Effort Survey (FES) is a mail survey that collects information about fishing activity, or effort, from households in coastal states. The FES replaced the Coastal Household Telephone Survey in 2018. The FES was updated in 2026 and the entire time series since 1982 has been recalibrated.

3. The For-Hire Survey (FHS) is a telephone survey that collects effort information from for-hire (party/charter) vessel representatives. Data from the FHS is used to develop estimates of the number of angler fishing trips taken on for-hire vessels that are not required to submit federal electronic Vessel Trip Reports (VTRs), such as those that only hold state permits. To produce complete MRIP for-hire effort estimates, the FHS estimates are then added to the VTR census counts of angler trips for the federally permitted vessels.

In addition, MRIP administers the Large Pelagics Survey, a specialized suite of three surveys (intercept, telephone, and biological) that produces catch and effort estimates for large pelagic and highly migratory species.

Learn More:

• How the Marine Recreational Information Program Samples Anglers 

Recreational Catch Estimates

MRIP uses data collected from the surveys described above to produce estimates of total recreational catch. While the actual statistical process is complicated, in essence these estimates are generated by multiplying catch rate (the average number of a particular species caught per fishing trip) by effort (the total number of fishing trips taken). 

NOAA Fisheries staff practice extensive quality assurance and control measures before publishing the estimates. This includes checking for errors in data entry and investigating any unusual changes in trends for high-interest, rare-event, and federally managed species.

Each estimate also includes a Percent Standard Error (PSE), which describes its statistical precision. Higher PSEs indicate greater uncertainty around an estimate. PSE describes precision, not whether an estimate is free from systematic bias. 

Learn More:

• Survey Statistics Overview

• Marine Recreational Information Program Estimation Methods

• Survey Design and Statistical Methods for Estimation of Recreational Fisheries Catch and Effort (PDF)

How to Access Recreational Data

There are several ways to access the information used to estimate recreational fishing activity. You can use the MRIP query tool to filter catch and effort data by time series, geographic area, species, mode, and other characteristics. You can also download full datasets. 

Get Recreational Data:

• Recreational Fishing Data and Statistics Queries Landing Page  – a searchable database of catch and effort statistics

• Recreational Fishing Data Downloads – full datasets for more advanced data queries/analysis

• Recreational Fishing Data Glossary

• MRIP Data User Handbook and Training Seminar Recordings

Fisheries Management and Recreational Fishing Data

The recreational fishing data MRIP produces is critical to inform and support the federal fisheries stock assessment and management processes. The total catch estimates produced by MRIP are combined with other information including commercial catch, biological information, and observer data to help scientists assess the health of fish stocks. Through a public process that includes angler input, fisheries managers use this information to set regulations that strive to balance access to the resource while ensuring its sustainability.

Contacts

MRIP

For general questions about MRIP, contact:

• Sarah Lazo, NOAA Fisheries, MRIP Communications Specialist, sarah.lazo@noaa.gov,  (301) 427-8181

Council

For questions pertaining to how the Council generally uses recreational data in the management process, contact:

• Jason Didden, Fishery Management Specialist and MRIP staff lead, jdidden@mafmc.org,  (302) 526-5254

• Mary Sabo, Communication and Outreach Coordinator, msabo@mafmc.org, (302) 518-1143

For questions on how the Council uses recreational data for specific species, contact the species leads at the bottom of this page: https://www.mafmc.org/staff.