U.S. Department of the In 

U.S. Geological Survey U. S. Department of Interior 

U.S. Geological Survey 

terior

 

 

 

 

Angler response to the Brown Trout 

Incentivized Harvest 

Lucas S. Bair1, Brenna Jungers2, Jeff Arnold3, David Rogowski4, Josh Abbott5 

1 U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center 

2 Mississippi State University 

3 National Park Service 

4 Arizona Game and Fish Department 

5 Arizona State University 

Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Work Group 

February 28, 2024, Phoenix, Arizona 

This information is preliminary and is subject to revision. It is being provided to meet the need for timely best science. The information is provided on the condition that 

neither the U.S. Geological Survey nor the U.S. Government shall be held liable for any damages resulting from the authorized or unauthorized use of the information. 
 

Number of Brown Trout Harvested 

0 

100 

200 

300 

400 

500 

600 

700 

800 

900 

Number of Brwon Trout 

Month and Year 

Number of Fish Harvested 

n = 5576 

Monthly average 

to achieve target: 

2500 annually 

$25/fish $33/fish 

$300 PIT 

$50/3 fish 

Fishing 

Videos 

Produced 

$33/Fish 

$15 PIT 

Preliminary Information-Subject to Revision. Not for Citation or Distribution. 
 

 

Total brown trout harvest 

harvest incentive 

trips catch per 

trip 

retention 

rate 

brown trout 

harvested 

Preliminary Information-Subject to Revision. Not for Citation or Distribution. 3 
 

 

 

Data 

Lees Ferry Fishing Data 

AZGFD Creel Survey (2018 – May 2022) 

• Trips-per-day 

• Catch-per-trip (by species) 

• Retention rate (by species) 

Fishing Conditions 

USGS Hydrological Data (2018 – May 2022) 

• Discharge rate (cfs, daily mean) 

• Water temperature (daily mean) 

PRISM Meteorological Data (2018 – May 2022) 

• Air temperature (daily mean) 

• Precipitation (daily) 

AAA Gas Price Data (2018 – May 2022) 

COVID-19 Controls 

Blavatnik School of Government & Oxford 

University (2020 – May 2022) 

• Government response stringency index 

(national, daily) 

• National confirmed cases & deaths 

NPS Intermountain Recreation Visitation 

(2018 –May 2022) 

• Monthly recreation visitation counts 

Google Trends Data (2018 – May 2022) 

• Monthly search frequency (national, lagged 

and unlagged) 

• Search terms: 

“outdoor recreation,” “fishing license,” “fly 

fishing,” “trout fishing.” 

4 
 

Brown Trout Model Results 

Trips per day • Bonanzas increase trips 

• Program decreases catch 

• Bonanzas decrease catch 

• Large incentives increase catch 

Catch per trip 

Retention rates • Program increases retention 

Preliminary Information-Subject to Revision. Not for Citation or Distribution. 5 
 

Rainbow Trout Model Results 

• Program decreases catch 

• Bonanzas increase catch Catch per trip 

• Program decreases retention 

• Bonanzas increase retention Retention rates 

Preliminary Information-Subject to Revision. Not for Citation or Distribution. 6 
 

 

 

 

Conclusion 

• The Brown Trout Incentivized Harvest program does increase 

brown trout catch and retention. 

• Brown trout catch rate is sensitive to incentive structure. 

• The program in general is not impacting the rainbow trout 

fishery. 

Preliminary Information-Subject to Revision. Not for Citation or Distribution. 7 
Contact: Lucas S. Bair, lbair@usgs.gov 

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