Trout fishing opportunities provided by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission have a substantial economic effect on North Carolina’s economy. The economic impact and contributions of trout fishing opportunities within the Commission’s Public Mountain Trout Waters program totaled an estimated $383 million in 2014!
According to a recent study, “Mountain Trout Fishing: Economic Impacts on and Contributions to North Carolina’s Economy,” nearly 149,000 trout anglers fished approximately 1.6 million days in North Carolina. The effects these trout anglers had on North Carolina’s economy in 2014 totaled an estimated $383 million. This figure represents anglers’ direct spending, such as purchases of fishing equipment, food and accommodations, as well as secondary spending by businesses associ-ated with trout angling and their employees.
Money spent on mountain trout fishing in 2014 supported approximately 3,593 jobs. Other study findings included:
- For Wild Trout Waters, the estimated economic impacts were $60,765,562 and anglers spent approximately 276,804 days fishing these waters.
- For Hatchery Supported Trout Waters and Delayed Harvest Trout Waters, the combined economic effects of stocked trout to North Carolina’s economy was $249,628,686, while the total cost of producing and stocking trout was approxi-mately $1 million, providing a return on investment of $250 for every $1 spent on trout production.
° Hatchery Supported: 710,665 angler fishing days= $141,273,525
° Delayed Harvest: 390,085 angler fishing days= $108,355,161