Economic activity generated by angling at small South Dakota lakes

Many agencies overlook the values affiliated with relatively small fisheries throughout their jurisdictions. The economic activity associated with angling visits to seven small fisheries in South Dakota was estimated using IMPLAN software. The average economic activity associated with fishing at individual lakes in 2016 was US\$35,369/lake, which was estimated to support an average of 0.48 jobs and create \$5,572 in tax revenues. We observed that lakes with the highest proportions of ice fishing pressure also had the greatest associated economic activity, even though several of these had the lowest overall fishing pressure throughout the year. In addition to economic activity, the zone of influence for each lake was estimated and compared with the proximity to urban centers. The inclusion of economic information from small fisheries may play an important role in influencing key strategic planning efforts by management agencies and in estimating the overall economic importance of angling on broader scales.