The annual MN kids fish free weekend falls this year from Friday, June 5 to Sunday, June 7, and Minnesotans age 16 or older don’t need a fishing license to take a child age 15 or younger fishing during this event.
“This is an annual opportunity to introduce a child to fishing without the prior purchase of a fishing license,” said Mike Kurre, mentoring program coordinator with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “It’s a great weekend to make some memories and go fishing with family and friends.”
Check out the DNR’s Fish Minnesota Web page at www.mndnr.gov/fishmn for answers to basic fishing questions and for explanations of fishing terminology. The site also includes links to a beginner’s guide to fishing, fishing regulations and information on where to fish.
“It is incredibly rewarding to watch a kid smile ear-to-ear while they reel in a fish,” Kurre said. “Kids love fishing, and at your fingertips there are resources that make it easier to learn how to fish and teach others.”
Fishing classes from the DNR’s I Can Fish! program run throughout the summer at state parks. And 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.
For links to state park fishing information, the beginner’s guide to fishing and more, see the DNR’s Take a Kid Fishing page at www.mndnr.gov/takeakidfishing.
Grand opening for Brown’s Creek State Trail will include a week-long celebration
A week of events will celebrate the grand opening of Brown’s Creek State Trail, starting with a ribbon-cutting at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 6 (National Trails Day) in the parking lot east of Highway 95 and Elm Street in Stillwater, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Kids are invited to decorate their bikes with provided supplies at 9:30 a.m. and then line up to be the first to ride the trail after the ribbon-cutting. Refreshments and naturalist activities will follow the ribbon-cutting.
“Brown’s Creek State Trail is a beautiful 6-mile addition to the Minnesota state parks and trails system,” said Erika Rivers, the DNR’s Parks and Trails Division director. “We expect it to be popular with walkers, bikers, in-line skaters and cross-country skiers.”
Special events later in the week include:
- Sunday, June 7, 1 p.m.: Geocaching 101.
- Monday, June 8, 1 p.m.: Nature Through a Camera Lens.
- Tuesday, June 9, 7 a.m.: Birds of Brown’s Creek State Trail.
- Wednesday, June 10, 10 a.m.: Wildflower/Plant Walk.
- Thursday, June 11, 6:30 p.m.: Brown’s Creek Watershed District Ice Cream Social and Trail Ride.
To participate in any of these events, meet at the Brown’s Creek Nature Preserve, south of McKusick Road on Neal Avenue in Stillwater.
Brown’s Creek State Trail is paved from Stillwater to the Gateway State Trail, which continues all the way to St. Paul. It is part of Minnesota’s extensive state trail system, which includes nearly 600 miles of paved trails.
For a trail map or more information, visit www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_trails/browns_creek/index.html or call the DNR Information Center at 651-296-6157 or 888-646-6367 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Map of meeting location at Brown’s Creek Nature Preserve: http://images.dnr.state.mn.us/destinations/state_trails/browns_creek/map_of_grand_opening_events.jpg
