Urban and Community Fisheries Programs: Development, Management, and Evaluation

<em>Abstract.-</em>A put-and-take winter rainbow trout <em>Oncorhynchus mykiss </em>fishery was established at Banner Lake South in southern Iowa during 2004. The objectives of the new program were to promote angling and to increase trout permit sales. A total of 16,329 catchable rainbow trout were stocked between October and March in 2004-2005, 2005-2006 and 2006-2007. During 2005-2006 each stocking was individually marked with a distinctive fin clip and a creel survey was conducted to determine angler attitudes, demographics, harvest, how quickly stockings were depleted, and whether the program paid for itself. Additionally, permit sales in an eight county area surrounding Banner Lake South were monitored through the Electronic Licensing System for Iowa (ELSI). Nearly 7,200 angler-hours were expended to harvest 83% of the fish within each two week period post-stocking, leading to approximately 90% of each stocking being harvested. Overall catch rate during 2005-2006 was 1.41 rainbow trout per hour. The majority of the anglers were Caucasian males between the ages of 16 and 64. The creel survey revealed that 56% purchased a trout permit specifically to fish Banner Lake South; these were considered new permit buyers. However, the ELSI system found that 32% of sales were to new buyers. Disparities may be due to bias from angler interviews or sales outside of the eight county area. Additionally, the creel survey indicated that 15% purchased a fishing license specifically to fish Banner Lake South. The ELSI system was unreliable in identifying new fishing license buyers. For every dollar spent on the trout program at Banner Lake South during the first three years of the program, an average of $1.68 was generated as profit from trout permit sales in the surrounding eight county area.