Information submitted by anglers directly influences the way your steelhead rivers are managed. The purpose of the Report Card program is to gather angler information which is used by CDFW in making fisheries management and regulatory decisions, and to track angling trends over time. The majority of steelhead populations in California are listed under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA); therefore, angling information is critical to show that impacts due to angling are minimal and do not cause further impacts to steelhead populations.
The purchase of a Report Card is an investment into the future of California’s steelhead resource. Funds generated from Report Card sales are dedicated to supporting the program as well as funding habitat restoration projects that help conserve, monitor, and recover steelhead populations statewide. Because the funds are generated by steelhead anglers, funded restoration projects must benefit steelhead and have a direct or indirect benefit to the angler. Between the years of 1994 and 2014, 155 projects were funded using Report Card Revenue totaling approximately $2,500,000.
Yes, this information is still valuable as it increases the accuracy of our data. Please report online that you “Did Not Fish” or check the “Did Not Fish” box on the top or your Report Card and mail it to the Department at the address indicated on the Report Card.
If your report card is lost during the period for which it is valid you may purchase an additional report card. Catch information from the lost report shall be reported online or by submitting an affidavit, signed under penalty of perjury, to a CDFW license sales office containing the following information:
- The report card holder's full name, GOID#, and a statement confirming that the originally issued report card is lost and cannot be recovered.
- A statement containing the report card holder's best recollection of the prior catch records that were entered on the report card that was lost.
- A statement describing the factual circumstances surrounding the loss of the report card.
DO NOT report catch information from a lost card on your new report card
A new Report Card must be purchased before fishing for steelhead again.
Yes, you are still required to return your Report Card. If you went fishing, but were unsuccessful, please mark zeros within the appropriate “Kept” and Released” fields on the Report Card. The month, day, and location code fields are required to be filled whether you catch fish or not and should be filled out before you start fishing. The Report Card is designed for you to record fishing effort, regardless of whether or not you catch a steelhead.
If you mailed your Report Card during the reporting period, it is possible that it had not arrived at the time reminder emails were sent. If you reported your Report Card online during the reporting period and still received a reminder email, please contact License and Revenue Branch at (916) 928-5805 for further assistance.
If you received a reminder email, then our license system indicated that a Report Card was purchased in your name. It is also possible that you may be a Life Time License holder, and a Report Card may have been automatically generated in your name. Please contact License and Revenue Branch at (916) 928-5805 for further assistance.
All angler information, including name and address, are entered by License Agents when you purchase your Report Card. Please contact License and Revenue Branch at (916) 928-5805 for further assistance.
If you would like to continue to fish for steelhead, an additional Report Card will need to be purchased once all of the lines have been used. Please DO NOT add additional lines to your Report Card. Our data entry system does not allow the entry of more than 30 lines per Report Card. Data written on additional lines will be lost.
Yes, reporting online is the easiest way to submit your angling information and keep your Report Card. An alternative is to clearly photocopy your Report Card and mail the copy to the address provided within the instructions.
The purpose of the Report Card program is to gather angler information which is used by the Department in making fisheries management and regulatory decisions, as well as tracking angling trends over time. The information submitted by steelhead anglers directly influences the way your steelhead rivers are managed.
Detailed information regarding the analysis of Report Card data can be found within administrative and legislative reports