Each year in early June, Take a Kid Fishing Weekend is an opportunity for adults to share the fun of fishing with kids.    

“This is a great time of year to take kids fishing. The weather is usually pleasant, and the fish are often found close to shores and piers,” said Benji Kohn, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources volunteer mentor program coordinator. “Try heading out to a nearby lake and cast out with a hook, bait and bobber. Kids will be all smiles when they catch fish.”

Take a Kid Fishing Weekend is from Friday, June 5, to Sunday, June 7, and this year, the weekend coincides with a pause in fishing license sales as the DNR transitions data to Minnesota’s new electronic license system. During the pause in license sales, anglers may fish without a license from 12 a.m. Tuesday, June 2, through 11:59 p.m. Monday, June 8. All other fishing season regulations and bag limits will remain in effect. At 12 a.m. June 9, the new electronic license system will open for anglers and hunters. 

Youth 15 and younger do not require fishing licenses at any time of the year, though they must observe all fishing seasons and regulations.  

Resources and opportunities

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, and what to do with live bait after fishing. 

Anglers interested in sharing their fishing photos from Take a Kid Fishing Weekend can upload them using the Minnesota DNR photo uploader. The Minnesota DNR uses many of these photos in social media, email newsletters, webpages and other communications.