DNR: Bluegill remains big boss among Indiana fish

When it comes to a favorite fish, not much has changed during the last 40 years in the minds of Indiana anglers.

Results of the 2016 Indiana Licensed Angler Survey reveal that bluegill ranks as the fish species most often pursued in Indiana, followed by largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, black crappie and channel catfish.

Likewise, anglers are still fishing most often in private ponds, small rivers and streams, and the natural lakes of northern Indiana.

According to anglers, the DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife Fisheries Section should emphasize the management of native, self-sustaining sport fish species.

More than 60 percent of anglers indicated support of a harvest limit on bluegills and size limits on crappie, compared to less than 26 percent expressing opposition.

Among stocked species, anglers showed a preference for stocking walleye and indicated that the Fisheries Section should focus stocking efforts on small and large reservoirs.

The Indiana Licensed Angler Survey has been conducted every decade since 1977. It provides the Fisheries Section with a snapshot of attitudes, opinions and preferences of Indiana’s anglers.

These surveys have been an integral component of fisheries management that allows the Division of Fish & Wildlife to serve in the best interests of its constituents.

The full report on 2016 survey results is available at fishing.IN.gov.