During Take a Kid Fishing Weekend (Friday, June 6, to Sunday, June 8), Minnesota residents can fish without licenses if they take children 15 or younger fishing. Casting a line is one way among many to enjoy Great Outdoors Month, in June.
“Taking kids fishing is super fun,” said Benji Kohn, volunteer mentor program coordinator with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “Try a nearby lake and cast out from shore or a pier with a hook, bait and bobber. Those kids will be all smiles when they catch fish.”
Youth 15 and younger do not require fishing licenses at any time of the year, though they must observe all fishing seasons and other regulations. Take a Kid Fishing Weekend allows adult Minnesotans to fish without a license as long as they take a child fishing with them. Minnesota residents also may generally fish in state parks without a fishing license if the body of water does not require a trout stamp.
Take a Kid Fishing Weekend is one among many outdoor opportunities available to Minnesotans during Great Outdoors Month, a time when Gov. Tim Walz and the Minnesota DNR encourage Minnesotans to get out in nature and enjoy the state’s outstanding outdoor opportunities, including fishing, riding all-terrain vehicles on state ATV trails, and visiting state parks and recreation areas to hike, bike, camp, swim, paddle or go birding. The proclamation of June being Great Outdoors Month in Minnesota cites the health and wellness benefits of spending time outdoors as one of the many reasons to encourage Minnesotans to get outdoors.
The Minnesota DNR’s take a kid fishing webpage has a variety of online resources available for anyone interested in taking a kid fishing, including information and recorded webinars on how to fish, accessible piers and shore fishing locations, buying a fishing license, and what to do with live bait when done fishing.
Anglers interested in sharing their fishing photos can do so by uploading them using the Minnesota DNR photo uploader . The Minnesota DNR uses many of these photos in social media, email newsletters, webpages and other communications.