Table 1. Angler use and harvest statistics from creel surveys conducted on Lake Francis Case since 1954.
TL is total Length.
Fishing
Pressure		  

Angler

 Mean
Trip
Length		 Total
Fish
Harvest		 Walleye
Harvest		 Total
Harvest
Rate		 Walleye
Harvest
Rate		 Mean
Walleye
TL(cm) in
Year (Hours) Days (hrs) (No.) (No.) (Fish/Hr) (Fish/Hr) Harvest
1954 84,000 35,000 2.4 115,000 0 1.369 0 -
1955 119,000 41,000 2.9 105,000 190 0.882 0.002 -
1956 159,000 47,500 3.4 89,500 177 0.563 0.001 -
1960 425,000 78,500 5.3 114,310 1,386 0.269 0.003 -
1981* 565,890 99,280 5.7 173,730 145,412 0.307 0.257 -
1982 557,570 101,375 5.5 136,150 110,554 0.244 0.198 -
1983 425,060 74,570 5.7 102,070 70,434 0.240 0.166 -
1984 433,640 86,730 5.0 259,070 242,431 0.597 0.559 -
1989 604,100 115,290 5.2 289,854 222,008 0.480 0.368 34.0
1990 383,711 81,641 4.7 117,155 64,596 0.305 0.169 36.8
1991 409,600 87,521 4.7 139,600 95,298 0.341 0.233 38.1
1992# 640,215 127,215 5.0 267,105 217,841 0.417 0.339 38.6
1993 589,153 115,520 5.1 126,231 95,425 0.214 0.161 38.6
1994 695,371 131,202 5.3 220,386 174,775 0.317 0.251 38.6
1995 543,414 113,923 4.8 185,354 158,354 0.341 0.292 39.1
1996 856,421 190,316 4.5 324,221 274,339 0.379 0.320 38.3
1997 652,510 143,409 4.6 307,297 285,463 0.471 0.437 38.5
1998 961,343 204,324 4.7 397,535 339,889 0.413 0.354 39.6
* Estimate projected from a creel survey for approximately 1/3 of reservoir.
# Estimate was for May-August only.
Notes: 1) Ft. Randall Dam, which impounds Lake Francis Case, was closed in 1952 and the reservoir completed filling in 1953.
2) During the period 1954-1956, bluegill, black bullhead, yellow perch and largemouth bass comprised most of the fish harvested.
3) During the year 1960, crappie and sauger were the species most numerous in the harvest.
4) Beginning in 1990, the daily walleye limit was reduced from 6 to 4 walleye/angler/dayand a 14 inch minimum length limit for walleye was added for the months of April, May and June.


Last Updated on 03/22/1999