Saturday June 6th is Free Fishing Day

Free Fishing Day

Free fishing events will be held across Utah on June 6.

If you're looking for a fun activity that's close to home and doesn't cost much, mark June 6 on your calendar.

June 6 is Free Fishing Day in Utah. You won't need a fishing license to fish in the state that day.

"Make plans now to get out with your family and enjoy a free day of fishing," says Drew Cushing, warm water sport fisheries coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources.

Cushing says Utah has plenty of water this year, and fishing should be better than ever. "Fishing at many of our mid-elevation reservoirs is really good right now," he says. "As the spring runoff recedes, fishing will pick up at the state's rivers and streams too."

You won't need a license to fish on June 6, but Cushing reminds you that the other rules in the state's fishing guidebook will still be in effect.

You can learn those rules by reading the 2009 Utah Fishing Guidebook. The free guidebook is available at wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks/2009_fishing.

Copies are also available at DWR offices and from fishing license agents across the state.

Some of the best places to fish

Before Free Fishing Day, the DWR will place extra fish in waters across Utah. Most of those fish will be placed in lakes and reservoirs, so those might be good places to try on June 6.

Utah's community fishing ponds are another good place to consider. Depending on where you live, a community pond might be only a few minutes away.

You can learn more about Utah's community fishing ponds by downloading the 2009 Community Fishing booklet at wildlife.utah.gov/cf/ — (PDF format).

"We'll stock the community fishing ponds with channel catfish before Free Fishing Day," Cushing says. "We'll continue stocking the ponds with catfish until the temperatures cool in the fall. Then we'll start placing trout in the ponds again."

Several free fishing events for children will be held on Free Fishing Day. The following are some of the events the DWR will be involved in:

Northern Utah

Logan

The Bear River Celebration and Free Fishing Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Willow Park, 419 W. 700 S.

People of all ages can enjoy free fishing at Skylar's Pond. Volunteers will be on hand to check out fishing equipment. They'll also be available to help first-time anglers.

Activity booths, for those ages 4 to 18, will also be offered. The first 250 kids and teenagers who visit the booths and complete their "passport to fun" will receive a free t-shirt. The interactive booths will give young people a chance to discover the joys of fishing and learn the importance of good water quality. Kids and teenagers can tie their own wooly bugger, experience how rivers and streams are formed, explore the life cycles of fish, go "buggy over bugs," make fish prints, learn to cast a fishing lure and learn more about Leave No Trace fishing and camping!

A variety of local, state and federal agencies are sponsoring the activity. The activity promotes water quality and fishing.