At a state fish and wildlife agency, fisheries research program, or angler-survey project, you record information about anglers' catches — interviewing fishermen at docks or boat ramps, logging species, sizes, locations, and effort into the data systems that inform fisheries management.
Most workdays unfold at boat ramps, marinas, or fishing piers — checking in with returning anglers, examining their catch, measuring fish, recording species and lengths, and capturing effort data (hours fished, locations). The clerk works a structured intake form on a tablet or paper, often during early morning and evening peak fishing times. Completed interviews and creel-card accuracy are the operating measures.
The catch tends to be the variable angler engagement — some fishermen happily share catch details, others are wary of any government interest, and the clerk navigates with conversational ease. Variance across employers is real: at state agencies the work runs on seasonal contracts during open fishing seasons; at research programs it tilts toward longer-term targeted studies.
What this work suits is outdoor comfort, patience with anglers' stories, and discipline in data capture under field conditions. Fisheries-science backgrounds and on-the-job training anchor the role. The trade-off is the seasonal and weather-driven schedule and the modest pay typical of seasonal field-research positions in state wildlife agencies.
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Roles with similar work and overlapping career paths
View all Admin & Office roles →At a state fish and wildlife agency, fisheries research program, or angler-survey project, you record information about anglers' catches — interviewing fishermen at docks or boat ramps, logging species, sizes, locations, and effort into the data systems that inform fisheries management.
Median pay for a Creel Clerk is about $44K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $32K to $61K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).
Core skills for this role include Active Listening, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Social Perceptiveness, and Service Orientation.
Most people in this role hold a high school diploma.
Employment in this field is projected to decline about 11.6% through 2034, with roughly 157,310 people working in it today (BLS).
Closely related roles include Polls Interviewer, Data Collector, and Admitting Interviewer.
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