WDFW Puget Sound Interactive Creel Survey Dashboard

📊 Metrics Explained

Total Catch

The absolute number of fish caught. Shows overall production volume for an area or time period.

CPUE (Catch Per Unit Effort)

Fish caught per angler interviewed. Formula: Total Fish ÷ Total Anglers. Higher values indicate more efficient fishing. Example: 7.5 CPUE means each angler averaged 7.5 fish.

Skunk Probability

Percentage of anglers who caught nothing. Formula: (Zero-Catch Surveys ÷ Total Surveys) × 100. Lower is better! Example: 12% means 88% of anglers caught at least one fish.

Hotness Score

Composite metric that combines total catch volume, catch rate (CPUE), and success rate into one score. Areas with high values across all three metrics rank highest. Perfect for finding the overall best fishing spots.

Success Window

Time periods when catch rates are high but crowds are low. Look for gaps where the red line (success) is high and the purple area (crowds) is low. These are prime fishing opportunities!

📈 Charts Guide

Catch Trends Over Time

Shows how catches have changed over time for each species. Use to identify seasonal patterns or long-term trends.

Total Catch by Species

Pie chart showing proportion of each species caught. Quickly see which species dominate the fishery.

Top 10 Catch Areas

Compare fishing areas by four metrics (use the icon buttons to switch):

• Total Catch (∑): Find most productive areas (highest volume)
• Catch Rate (⚡): Find most efficient areas (best success per angler)
• Skunk % (🦨): Find most reliable areas (lowest chance of catching nothing)
• Hotness (🔥): Find overall best spots (composite score of volume, rate, and success)

Tip: An area might rank #1 in Total Catch but #8 in Catch Rate - meaning lots of fish being caught and it's crowded!

Catch Distribution

Shows species catches broken down by time period. Adapts to your Time Granularity selection (Yearly/Monthly/Weekly/Daily).

Success Window

Dual-axis chart revealing when fishing is good but not crowded:

• Red Line (left axis): Catch rate - higher is better
• Purple Area (right axis): Total anglers - shows crowd size
• The Sweet Spot: Red line peaks above purple area = excellent fishing with few competitors!

🎛️ Filters Guide

Year Range

Select start and end years to analyze specific time periods. All charts update to show only data within your selected range.

Catch Area

Filter to specific marine areas. Multi-select supported. The map highlights selected areas in red. Tip: Click an area on the map to auto-select it!

Species

Choose which species to include in analysis. All charts recalculate to show only selected species. Useful for species-specific planning.

Time Granularity

Changes how time-based charts group data:

• Yearly: See long-term trends
• Monthly: Identify best months (default)
• Weekly: Fine-tune timing within a season
• Daily: Day-by-day detail (best for short date ranges)

Reset Button

Clears all filters and returns to default view. Your filter preferences are saved automatically and restored when you return!

💡 Use Case Examples

Finding the Overall Best Fishing Spots (Quick Method)

1. Click the Hotness (🔥) button on Top 10 Areas chart
2. View areas ranked by composite score (volume + efficiency + reliability)
3. Top-ranked areas excel across all metrics
4. Result: Best all-around fishing spots without comparing multiple views!

Finding the Best Chinook Fishing

1. Set Species filter to Chinook only
2. Click Hotness (🔥) to see best overall Chinook areas
3. Or use Catch Rate (⚡) mode for highest efficiency
4. Check Success Window to find when Chinook rates peak
5. Result: Best area + best time for Chinook!

Avoiding Crowds

1. View Top 10 Areas in Skunk % (🦨) mode
2. Find areas with low skunk probability (high success)
3. Check Success Window chart
4. Look for periods where red line is high but purple area is low
5. Result: Good fishing without the crowds!

Planning a Multi-Day Trip

1. Set Time Granularity to Daily
2. Set date range to your trip dates
3. View Catch Distribution to see daily patterns
4. Check Success Window for best days
5. Result: Schedule fishing on highest-success days!

Comparing This Year vs Last Year

1. Set Year Range to current year only
2. Note the key metrics (total catch, CPUE)
3. Set Year Range to last year only
4. Compare the differences
5. Result: See if fishing is better/worse this season!

🔍 Tips & Tricks

• Interactive Map: Click any area on the map to automatically select it in the filter!
• Hover for Details: Hover over any chart element to see exact values
• Filter Memory: Your filter settings are saved automatically - they'll be restored when you return
• Hotness Quick Start: New to the dashboard? Click the Hotness (🔥) button for an instant view of the best all-around fishing areas!
• Compare Metrics: An area ranking #1 in Hotness is great overall, but check individual metrics to understand why - is it volume, efficiency, or reliability?
• Area Prefix Numbers: Areas are prefixed with numbers (e.g., "(Area 4) Neah Bay") to help you sort numerically
• Weekly Format: Weeks are displayed as "YYYY-MM-W##" (e.g., "2024-06-W2" = 2nd week of June 2024)
• Skunk vs CPUE: High CPUE doesn't always mean low skunk % - you can have high averages with high variability!

⚠️ Understanding the Law of Small Numbers

What is it? The Law of Small Numbers is the tendency for small samples to show extreme or unusual values purely by chance, even when no real pattern exists.

Why it matters for fishing data: When an area or time period has very few anglers interviewed, the statistics can be misleading:

• Example 1: Area shows 15 fish/angler CPUE, but only 3 anglers were interviewed. This could easily be random variation!
• Example 2: Area shows 0% skunk rate, but only 5 anglers surveyed. A few more interviews might reveal a different picture.
• Example 3: Weekly data shows huge spike in catch rate, but that week had only 2 interview days due to weather. Not representative!

How to interpret data responsibly:

1. Check the sample size: Hover over chart points to see "Total Anglers" - this is your sample size
2. Be skeptical of extremes with small samples: If you see an amazing catch rate but only 10-20 anglers, treat it as "interesting but unproven"
3. Prefer areas/times with larger samples: 500+ anglers interviewed gives much more reliable statistics than 50 anglers
4. Look for consistency: An area that shows good catch rates across multiple years/months is more reliable than a one-time spike
5. Use multiple metrics or Hotness: The Hotness (🔥) score helps by combining metrics - areas ranking high in Hotness typically have larger sample sizes and consistent performance. You can also check if an area ranks high in Total Catch, CPUE, AND low Skunk % individually.

Red flags for small sample issues:

• 🚩 Daily or weekly granularity with extreme values (sample likely very small)
• 🚩 Obscure areas with impressive stats (fewer anglers = less data)
• 🚩 Early/late season spikes (fewer fishing days = fewer samples)
• 🚩 Perfect scores (0% skunk or 100% anything) with limited data

This doesn't mean small sample data is useless - it's great for generating hypotheses ("Maybe Area 13 is worth exploring!"), but confirm with larger datasets or personal experience before relying on it.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between the metric buttons?

Each metric measures different aspects of fishing success:

• Total Catch (∑): Pure volume - best for finding productive areas
• Catch Rate (⚡): Efficiency - average fish per angler
• Skunk % (🦨): Reliability - chance of catching nothing
• Hotness (🔥): Composite score - combines all three for overall best spots

When should I use Hotness vs individual metrics?

Use Hotness (🔥) for a quick overview of the best all-around areas. Use individual metrics when you have specific priorities: Total Catch if you want volume, Catch Rate for efficiency, or Skunk % for reliability.

Why do different metrics show different "top 10" areas?

Each metric measures different aspects. An area with high total catch might have moderate CPUE (because it's very popular/crowded). The Hotness score helps identify areas that excel across multiple dimensions.

What does "skunked" mean?

Catching zero fish. The Skunk Probability shows what percentage of anglers caught nothing.

How is catch rate calculated?

Total fish caught divided by total anglers interviewed in the surveys. It represents the average fish per angler.

Why doesn't the Success Window show my area?

The chart shows data across all areas (or your selected areas). To see a specific area's success window, use the Catch Area filter to select just that area.

Can I download this data?

Currently not supported in the interface, but the data is publicly available from WDFW.

⚖️ Disclaimer

Independent Project

This website is an independent, personal project created by Jeremy Veleber. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) or any government agency. The views and interpretations presented here are solely those of the creator and do not represent official WDFW positions or policies.

Data Accuracy

The data displayed on this dashboard is sourced from publicly available WDFW creel survey records. While efforts have been made to present this data accurately, no guarantees are made regarding the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the information. Data may contain errors, omissions, or discrepancies from the original source. Always verify important information directly with WDFW before making decisions.

Map Boundaries

The marine area boundaries shown on the interactive map are approximate representations only and are not official legal boundaries. These boundaries have been hand-traced for visualization purposes and should not be used for navigation, regulatory compliance, or determining legal fishing boundaries. For official marine area boundaries and regulations, consult the official WDFW fishing regulations and marine area maps.

No Warranty

This dashboard is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to the warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and noninfringement. In no event shall the creator be liable for any claim, damages, or other liability arising from the use of this dashboard.

Not Legal or Professional Advice

Nothing on this website constitutes legal, professional, or regulatory advice. Users are responsible for understanding and complying with all applicable fishing regulations. Always check current WDFW regulations before fishing.

External Links

This site may contain links to external websites. These links are provided for convenience only, and the creator is not responsible for the content or accuracy of external sites.