Scott A. Schell, David J. Bright, James A. Marshall and Michael A. Greenlee, Ohio Division of Wildlife, 360 East State Street, Athens, OH 45701

Abstract. A recreational use survey funded by Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana was conducted on 491 miles of the Ohio River during 1991 and 1992. The objectives were to provide direction and prioritization in developing fisheries strategies by determining catch statistics and economic benefits of the sport fishery. A total of 28,683 interviews representing 50,596 anglers were conducted. Fishing pressure was estimated at 2.5 million angler hours which translates to an estimated economic value of $34 million. Comparisons of the 1992 data with a 1981 West Virginia survey demonstrate that recreational use and angler success have both increased significantly. Total fishing pressure increased by 225% from 1981 to 1992 for the Ohio River bordering West Virginia. Fishing boats comprised 25% of all pleasure craft in 1981 but increased to 40% in 1992. Total catch for all gamefish species increased from 316,679 in 1981 to 2,827,228 in 1992, suggesting that this resource is in a state of recovery. Mean trip length also increased from 2.2 hours in 1981 to 3 hours in 1992 as anglers took advantage of expanded fishing opportunities. Despite these increases, the fishery still exhibits classic symptoms of underutilization with low fishing pressure and high catch rates accompanied by low harvest rates.