The Service recognizes sport fishing as an acceptable, traditional form of wildlife-oriented recreation that can be, and is sometimes used as, a management tool to effectively manipulate fish population levels. Recreational fishing opportunity on refuges is also consistent with, and an important implementation tool for, the Service's National Recreational Fisheries Policy.

Procedures for opening refuges to sport fishing are similar to those for hunting, including developing of a sport fishing plan, Section 7 consultation (if applicable), a letter of state concurrence and NEPA documentation. Like hunting, fishing regulations are codified in Title 50, Code of Federal Regulations after they have been approved and published in the Federal Register.

These regulations may include the species to be taken, seasons, creel limits, methods of fishing, areas open to fishing and other provisions. Refuge-specific regulations are identical to or more restrictive than state regulations.

Waters on and adjacent to refuges provide a tremendous variety of sport fishing opportunities from salmon and trout fishing in the cold waters of Alaska and the Northwest, to fishing for bass and panfish in the warm waters of the South, to fishing for a variety of saltwater species on coastal refuges.

The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Federal Aid Program funds a variety of surveys to assess the status and trends of wildlife recreation in the United States. You can visit the Federal Aid web pages to obtain further information on their programs.