A molel study was conducted to determine the optimal sample size for the analysis of the aquatic insect community in a stream reach of the Pangtae Creek, Kangwon-do in October 1995 and may 1996. The results showed that the required minimum sample size varied and depended on the purposes of the community analysis. Acoording to the Species: Area Curve method, at least 16 Surber samplings ($30{ imes}30cm$) were required in a stream reach in each spring and fall survey. The species diversity index did not vary significantly as the sample size increased. Based on the coefficient of variation analysis, the minimum sample sizes of 10 were required in order to compare seasonal differences of the community in the study area. Considering the static community structure of aquatic insects, including both species numbers and individual numbers of aquatic insects, 11 and 7 samplings were optimal sizes for the fall and spring survey, respectively. We concluded that 12 Surber samplings from 3 riffle-pool sequences (4 samplings at each riffle-pool sequence) would be required in a stream reach (length 1 km) to obtain reliable as well as cost efficient data. Our model showed that the optimal sample size should be determined by interactions between minimum sample size, the degree of data reliability, and cost efficiency.