PAGE  1
000 B000000 08/31/2005
000 C000000 0001259708
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 6.1
000 J000000 A
001 A000000 FLOATING RATE INCOME STRATEGIES FUND, INC.
001 B000000 811-21413
001 C000000 6092822800
002 A000000 P.O. BOX 9011
002 B000000 PRINCETON
002 C000000 NJ
002 D010000 08543
002 D020000 9011
003  000000 N
004  000000 N
005  000000 N
006  000000 N
007 A000000 N
007 B000000  0
007 C010100  1
007 C010200  2
007 C010300  3
007 C010400  4
007 C010500  5
007 C010600  6
007 C010700  7
007 C010800  8
007 C010900  9
007 C011000 10
008 A000001 FUND ASSET MANAGEMENT, L.P.
008 B000001 A
008 C000001 801-12485
008 D010001 PLAINSBORO
008 D020001 NJ
008 D030001 08536
011 A000001 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INC.
011 B000001 8-7221
011 C010001 NEW YORK
011 C020001 NY
011 C030001 10281
011 C040001 1201
012 A000001 EQUISERVE TRUST COMPANY N.A.
012 B000001 85-11340
012 C010001 PROVIDENCE
012 C020001 RI
012 C030001 02940
012 C040001 3010
      PAGE  2
013 A000001 DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
013 B010001 PRINCETON
013 B020001 NJ
013 B030001 08540
014 A000001 MLPF&S AND OTHER ML BROKER/DEALER AFFILIATES
014 B000001 8-7221
015 A000001 STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY
015 B000001 C
015 C010001 BOSTON
015 C020001 MA
015 C030001 02101
015 E010001 X
015 A000002 THE BANK OF NEW YORK
015 B000002 S
015 C010002 NEW YORK
015 C020002 NY
015 C030002 10286
015 E010002 X
015 A000003 BANKERS TRUST COMPANY
015 B000003 S
015 C010003 NEW YORK
015 C020003 NY
015 C030003 10006
015 E010003 X
015 A000004 J.P. MORGAN CHASE BANK
015 B000004 S
015 C010004 NEW YORK
015 C020004 NY
015 C030004 10017
015 E010004 X
015 A000005 CUSTODIAL TRUST CO.
015 B000005 S
015 C010005 NEW YORK
015 C020005 NY
015 C030005 10167
015 E010005 X
015 A000006 MORGAN GUARANTY TRUST CO. OF NEW YORK
015 B000006 S
015 C010006 NEW YORK
015 C020006 NY
015 C030006 10260
015 E010006 X
018  000000 Y
019 A000000 Y
019 B000000  145
019 C000000 MERRILLLYN
020 A000001 MCMAHAN SECURITIES CO. L.P.
020 B000001 06-1229141
020 C000001      2
020 C000002      0
020 C000003      0
      PAGE  3
020 C000004      0
020 C000005      0
020 C000006      0
020 C000007      0
020 C000008      0
020 C000009      0
020 C000010      0
021  000000        2
022 A000001 ML LIQUIDITY SERIES, LLC CASH SWEEP SERIES I
022 B000001 02-0651665
022 C000001    237003
022 D000001    243357
022 A000002 J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES INC.
022 B000002 13-3224016
022 C000002     46674
022 D000002     10065
022 A000003 DEUTSCHE BANK SECURITIES INC.
022 B000003 13-2730828
022 C000003     31867
022 D000003      2674
022 A000004 BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC
022 B000004 56-2058405
022 C000004     20443
022 D000004      3853
022 A000005 CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC.
022 B000005 11-2418191
022 C000005     21361
022 D000005      1254
022 A000006 CREDIT SUISSE FIRST BOSTON CORPORATION
022 B000006 13-5659485
022 C000006     18581
022 D000006       871
022 A000007 LEHMAN BROTHERS INC.
022 B000007 13-2518466
022 C000007     14128
022 D000007      3718
022 A000008 BNP PARIBAS SECURITIES CORP.
022 B000008 13-3235334
022 C000008     13693
022 D000008      1504
022 A000009 WACHOVIA SECURITIES, LLC
022 B000009 54-0796506
022 C000009     11319
022 D000009      3254
022 A000010 MORGAN STANLEY
022 B000010 13-2655998
022 C000010     11400
022 D000010      1960
023 C000000     477811
023 D000000     292609
024  000000 N
      PAGE  4
026 A000000 N
026 B000000 Y
026 C000000 N
026 D000000 Y
026 E000000 N
026 F000000 N
026 G010000 N
026 G020000 N
026 H000000 N
027  000000 N
045  000000 Y
046  000000 N
047  000000 Y
048  000000  0.750
048 A010000        0
048 A020000 0.000
048 B010000        0
048 B020000 0.000
048 C010000        0
048 C020000 0.000
048 D010000        0
048 D020000 0.000
048 E010000        0
048 E020000 0.000
048 F010000        0
048 F020000 0.000
048 G010000        0
048 G020000 0.000
048 H010000        0
048 H020000 0.000
048 I010000        0
048 I020000 0.000
048 J010000        0
048 J020000 0.000
048 K010000        0
048 K020000 0.000
049  000000 N
050  000000 N
051  000000 N
052  000000 N
053 A000000 N
054 A000000 Y
054 B000000 Y
054 C000000 N
054 D000000 N
054 E000000 N
054 F000000 N
054 G000000 N
054 H000000 Y
054 I000000 N
054 J000000 Y
      PAGE  5
054 K000000 N
054 L000000 N
054 M000000 Y
054 N000000 N
055 A000000 Y
055 B000000 Y
056  000000 Y
057  000000 N
058 A000000 N
059  000000 Y
060 A000000 Y
060 B000000 Y
061  000000        0
062 A000000 Y
062 B000000   0.0
062 C000000   0.0
062 D000000   0.0
062 E000000   0.0
062 F000000   0.0
062 G000000   0.0
062 H000000   0.0
062 I000000   0.0
062 J000000   0.0
062 K000000   0.0
062 L000000   0.0
062 M000000   0.0
062 N000000   0.0
062 O000000   0.0
062 P000000  39.9
062 Q000000  94.1
062 R000000   1.1
063 A000000   0
063 B000000  5.6
064 A000000 N
064 B000000 Y
065  000000 N
066 A000000 N
067  000000 N
068 A000000 N
068 B000000 N
069  000000 N
070 A010000 Y
070 A020000 N
070 B010000 Y
070 B020000 N
070 C010000 Y
070 C020000 N
070 D010000 Y
070 D020000 N
070 E010000 Y
070 E020000 N
      PAGE  6
070 F010000 Y
070 F020000 N
070 G010000 Y
070 G020000 N
070 H010000 Y
070 H020000 N
070 I010000 N
070 I020000 N
070 J010000 Y
070 J020000 N
070 K010000 Y
070 K020000 Y
070 L010000 Y
070 L020000 Y
070 M010000 Y
070 M020000 N
070 N010000 Y
070 N020000 N
070 O010000 Y
070 O020000 Y
070 P010000 Y
070 P020000 N
070 Q010000 N
070 Q020000 N
070 R010000 Y
070 R020000 N
071 A000000    240012
071 B000000    224187
071 C000000    467480
071 D000000   48
072 A000000 12
072 B000000    29877
072 C000000        0
072 D000000        0
072 E000000      250
072 F000000     3537
072 G000000      131
072 H000000        0
072 I000000       51
072 J000000       20
072 K000000        0
072 L000000       46
072 M000000       46
072 N000000        0
072 O000000        0
072 P000000     3394
072 Q000000        0
072 R000000       51
072 S000000      110
072 T000000        0
072 U000000        0
      PAGE  7
072 V000000        0
072 W000000      316
072 X000000     7702
072 Y000000        0
072 Z000000    22425
072AA000000     1276
072BB000000     3960
072CC010000     4268
072CC020000        0
072DD010000    20348
072DD020000        0
072EE000000      216
073 A010000   1.1121
073 A020000   0.0000
073 B000000   0.0118
073 C000000   0.0000
074 A000000        0
074 B000000        0
074 C000000        0
074 D000000   474464
074 E000000        0
074 F000000     3930
074 G000000        0
074 H000000        0
074 I000000        0
074 J000000        0
074 K000000        2
074 L000000     5404
074 M000000       50
074 N000000   483850
074 O000000     3950
074 P000000      238
074 Q000000   123600
074 R010000        0
074 R020000        0
074 R030000        0
074 R040000     1948
074 S000000        0
074 T000000   354114
074 U010000    18298
074 U020000        0
074 V010000    19.35
074 V020000     0.00
074 W000000   0.0000
074 X000000     8603
074 Y000000   443887
075 A000000        0
075 B000000   353918
076  000000    17.85
077 A000000 Y
077 B000000 Y
      PAGE  8
077 O000000 Y
078  000000 N
080 A000000 ICI MUTUAL INSURANCE CO.
080 C000000      750
081 A000000 Y
081 B000000 136
082 A000000 N
082 B000000        0
083 A000000 N
083 B000000        0
084 A000000 N
084 B000000        0
085 A000000 Y
085 B000000 N
086 A010000     22
086 A020000    416
086 B010000      0
086 B020000      0
086 C010000      0
086 C020000      0
086 D010000      0
086 D020000      0
086 E010000      0
086 E020000      0
086 F010000      0
086 F020000      0
087 A010000 COMMON STOCK
087 A020000 339735102
087 A030000 FRA
088 A000000 N
088 B000000 N
088 C000000 N
088 D000000 N
SIGNATURE   DONALD C. BURKE                              
TITLE       TREASURER