Recreational fisheries are an important resource in the United States, holding tremendous ecological, social, and economic value. Information about these systems is typically collected by state natural resource management agencies. With no central national repository, opportunities for regional and national research has been limited. The U.S. Inland Creel and Angler Survey Catalog (CreelCat), was developed using a collaborative approach to compile angler survey data from across the country to support large scale research efforts, particularly climate impacts on these systems. In this talk we will discuss the development of the database, fostering collaborative approaches to data sharing with state agencies, and highlight some early applications of the dataset.