Acid rain threatens the productivity and perhaps existence of fisheries in parts of North America and Europe. A major focus of abatement negotiations is the costs of emission controls as compared to the associated benefits in avoided environmental damages. We used Talhelm's product travel cost approach to estimate changes in angler consumer surplus under varying acid rain loadings in lakes of eastern Ontario. Under the most severe acid loadings simulated over the next 50 years, a lake-by-lake biological model predicted that 5% of the lakes would eventually provide no angling, and angling quality would significantly change in another 20%. As a result, the annual amount of angling in the region would decline by 1% (6,000 angler-days). Annual angling consumer surplus would decline 4% ($400,000 Canadian). The present value lost over the 50 years was estimated to be $6,600,000, compared to a present value loss of $328,000,000 if all angling in the region were eliminated for the entire period. We conclude that the approach is a powerful tool relative to other methods, not only for estimating economic values of existing fisheries but also for (1) evaluating angler preferences for levels of specific angling quality, (2) estimating economic values of changes (e.g., changes in creel restrictions, catch rates, species composition, and angling methods), and (3) projecting future angling use under altered management regimes. Like all socioeconomic assessment techniques, however, the reliability of the results is highly contingent on the underlying projections of ecological response and impact.