Minnesotans can take children 15 or younger fishing without licenses on Friday, June 10, to Sunday, June 12, during Take a Kid Fishing Weekend.
“This weekend is a way to introduce a kid to fishing without purchasing a fishing license,” said Jeff Ledermann, angler recruitment, retention and education supervisor with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “We hope the annual opportunity leads to great memories and sparks kids’ interest in fishing.”
Beginners and even those without fishing gear have abundant opportunities to try fishing in Minnesota. Fishing gear is available to borrow at Minnesota state parks, and the DNR’s I Can Fish! program teaches all the basics of fishing and runs throughout the summer at state parks.
Throughout the state, anyone can fish from shore or one of Minnesota’s many fishing piers, which feature nearby parking and have hard surface paths from parking areas. Pier locations are listed at www.mndnr.gov/fishing_piers.
Metro area shore fishing sites that provide great opportunities to catch fish are listed by county at www.mndnr.gov/fin. Check the “Places” section on the DNR fishing page at www.mndnr.gov/fishing for even more ideas about where to fish. Visitwww.mndnr.gov/fishmn to learn about the basics of fishing, explanations of fishing terminology and current fishing regulations.
At state parks, even when it’s not Take a Kid Fishing Weekend, Minnesota residents generally can fish in state parks without a fishing license if the body of water doesn’t require a trout stamp. More information is available at www.mndnr.gov/state_parks/starter_kit/fishing.html.
For a beginner’s guide to fishing and more, see the DNR’s Take a Kid Fishing page at www.mndnr.gov/takeakidfishing.
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