Take-A-Kid-Fishing Weekend
Minnesotans who want to catch some quality family time are encouraged to take advantage of Take-A-Kid Fishing weekend, which is June 6-8. Minnesota residents 18 and older can fish for free during these days when they accompany an angler younger than 16.
- Take-A-Kid-Fishing-Weekend kicks off with a warm-up event from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, June 5, on the north plaza of the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis. The metro area's Fishing In The Neighborhood (FiN) program and the MinnAqua fishing and aquatic education outreach program will have several activity stations for folks to learn about fishing and how to take kids fishing. There'll be fish, too – FiN's aquarium will provide a close-up view of some of Minnesota's most-popular fish.
- Camden State Park, Lynd: The third annual "Great Camden Campout – the Pioneer Way" will be held at Camden State Park the weekend of June 6-9, 2008. Several activities will be taking place during the weekend such as: Campfire Storytelling, "MinnAqua" children's fishing clinic, Pioneer Camp Cooking, Pioneer Toys and games and the Search for the Lost Camden History Medallion.
- William O'Brien State Park, Marine-On-St. Croix: From willow sticks to the Ugly Stick, learn about the history of fishing at William O'Brien State Park. Try fishing with a variety of rigs and make your own pop-can fishing rig to take home. Program presented in partnership with MinnAqua.
- Bear Head Lake State Park, Ely: From willow sticks to the Ugly Stick, learn about the history of fishing on Bear Head Lake. Try fishing with a variety of rigs and make your own pop-can fishing rig to take home. Program presented in partnership with MinnAqua.
- Lake Bemidji State Park, Bemidji: From willow sticks to the Ugly Stick, learn about the history of fishing on Lake Bemidji. Try fishing with a variety of rigs and make your own pop-can fishing rig to take home. Program presented in partnership with MinnAqua.
- Whitewater State Park, Elba: Take-A-Kid Trout Fishing is designed to help youngsters five to 15 years old start trout fishing. Guides will take small groups of kids and parents fishing. Lunch is provided. Bring a spinning rod and reel if you have one. One adult must sign for each youth participating in the program. Call the park for program time.
Organized Events
No need for gear at these events. DNR staff will show you and the kids just what to do and how to do it.- Test Your Knowledge
: Think you're ready to pass on Minnesota's fishing tradition to a few young anglers? First, make sure you know your stuff. - Pop Can Casters
(16 pages | 3 MB) : Make your own fishing rig! - Fishing Safety: Safety & Fishing at the Water's Edge (40 pages | 7 MB) and Fishing With Small Fry.
- Plan Your Trip (20 pages | 3.7 MB) : You might get lucky by just showing up. You might not. Use this MinnAqua guide to help out.
On-Your-Own Activities
Don't just fish. Take some time to plan, prepare and learn.- Fishing Piers (2 pages | 1.6 MB) : Who needs a boat! Use this statewide map to find a nearby fishing pier.
- Metro Access: Theses ponds and lakes in the seven-county metropolitan area are stocked especially for kids. You might find yourself hooked on fishing, too.
Places To Go Fishing
Wonder where to take those young anglers? Check below and find good locations throughout Minnesota. And don't forget to investigate nearby state, regional, county and municipal parks.- 2008 Minnesota Fishing Regulations: The most-current version of the 2008 Minnesota Fishing Regulations are online.
- Good Sporstmanship (26 pages | 1.7 MB) : There is an outdoor ethic, and there's no one better than you to teach kids the right thing to do.
Know The Rules
Set a good example and know the fishing rules and regulations before you start.- Diving Into Diversity (24 pages | 4.9 MB) : There's more than fish under the water. Learn about the aquatic ecosystems and the importance of clean water to the well-being of everyone and everything.
- Fishes of Minnesota : Excellent and detailed information from the University of Minnesota's Bell Museum about Minnesota's fish, where they live, what they eat and their natural history.
- Nature Snapshots: More useful information and insight about the fish of Minnesota.
- Fishes of the Great Lakes : Good anglers know you can never know too much about fish.
Know Your Fish
How can you catch a bluegill if you don't know what one looks like, where it lives, what it likes to do and what it eats. Use these links to find the answers.
