Idaho Fish And Game Releases Releases Sport Fishing Economic Report

Fishing in Idaho generated $437,631,735 in statewide retail sales in 2003 with an additional $12,289,806 for fishing licenses and permits.

Anglers fished 3,908,747 days on 2,917,972 trips with an average of 1.3 days per trip and 5.1 hours per day and $150 per trip.

Those are the results of an Idaho Department of Fish and Game mail survey now available online.

Fish and Game sent out 48,000 surveys to Idaho fishing license holders in 2003. The 25,583 completed responses were compiled into the 2003 Idaho Sport Fishing Economic Report.

In 2003, Idaho's population was 1,366,332, with one in four eligible people residing in Idaho buying a fishing license. And 424,375 fishing licenses and 106,759 permits, such as Chinook, steelhead and two-pole permits, were sold to 400,824 individuals - 124,297 were nonresidents.

They spent:

--- $106,027,912 on food and beverages in stores.

--- $ 42,241,442 on food and beverages in restaurants.

--- $ 61,857,157 on fishing supplies.

--- $ 59,982,392 on other equipment and supplies.

--- $ 91,115,794 on round-trip transportation.

--- $ 31,495,818 on outfitters and/or guides.

--- $ 29,358,536 on motels.

--- $ 10,008,279 on campgrounds, public and/or private.

--- $ 5,544,405 on Access Fees, boat launches, parking, etc.

--- $ 12,289,806 on fishing licenses and permits.

The complete county-by-county report is available on the Fish and Game Website at: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/fish/misc/03econstudy/