Fifty-six percent of all anglers report one of their fishing spots has been closed to angling in 2009, according to a recent survey by Southwick Associates. Trends were the same last year with 54 percent of anglers reportedly losing water access. In the past three years, 23 percent of anglers lost a fishing spot to access closure.

The access problem is most evident with freshwater anglers. Seventy-four percent said they lost a fishing location on fresh water; just 24% reported the loss of a saltwater location. (Reported access loss results for 2008 were 77% fresh water and 17% salt water.)

A majority of the anglers reporting a loss continue to fish as frequently as they did before the loss occurred, presumably at other spots that remain open to them, found the survey. In 2009, only about 37% reported fishing less frequently as a result, a figure virtually unchanged from the year before.