Kids up to 13 years old are invited to “get hooked on fishing” at the 29th annual Jackson Kids Fishing Day on Saturday, June 1. The event, hosted by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department with several partners and volunteers, will feature FREE activities and take place at Rendezvous Park (“R” Park) near Wilson from 10:30am to 2:00pm.
“We’re happy to be partnering with the folks at R Park for the fourth year,” said Wyoming Game and Fish Jackson Fish Biologist Diana Miller. “The park has proved to be a great setting with room for kids to spread out with easy access along the shoreline making it ideal for beginning anglers, and lots of fish were caught the past few years!”
The pond at R Park is being stocked with hundreds of Snake River cutthroat trout and there will be an array of educational activities including:

• Fish anatomy and biology
• Watercraft safety
• Identifying different types of fish habitat, their food (aquatic insects), and aquatic invasive species
• Fish passage obstacle course

I continue to volunteer for this event because I really believe in providing quality outdoor opportunities for our youth,” says long-time Kids Fishing Day volunteer Joe Burke. “Plus, it’s pretty gratifying seeing all the kids having so much fun!”
Located at the intersection of Highway 22 and the Teton Village Road (4270 River Springs Drive, Wilson), registration will begin at 10:30am. Enjoy a FREE hotdog lunch served by the Jackson Hole Lions Club at noon followed by fishing in the pond.  Kids will be able to keep their equipment at the end of the day due to a generous Jackson Hole One Fly Foundation grant. Activities will conclude at 2:00pm but kids can fish, on their own, after the event. Participants are urged to use alternative forms of transportation to attend, such as START Bus or the community pathway system.
Saturday, June 1, is also Free Fishing Day across the state of Wyoming, when anyone may fish without a fishing license or Conservation Stamp. However, all limits and other fishing regulations still apply. More details on Free Fishing Day are listed in the Wyoming fishing regulations booklet and on the Wyoming Game and Fish website at: http://wgfd.wyo.gov/. There are Kids Fishing Day events held across Wyoming in celebration of National Fishing and Boating Week.
Adult volunteers are always needed to help out at the event and can serve as “fishing guides” for the kids. If you would like to volunteer or learn more, contact Wyoming Game and Fish Jackson Region Fish Supervisor Rob Gipson at the Jackson Game and Fish office at 307-733-2321. “This truly is quite the group effort with many volunteers and generous sponsors who donate both time and money to make this event such a success each year,” said Gipson. “We couldn’t do it without them.”
An additional Kids Fishing Day event will also be offered in Afton at the Valley View Golf Course Pond behind the Mountain Inn. This event is hosted by the Bridger-Teton U.S. Forest Service, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and the Star Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited from 9:00 to 1:00 with a FREE hot dog lunch and an appearance by Smokey Bear! Kids will be able to keep their equipment at the end of the day due to a generous Jackson Hole One Fly Foundation grant.
The Game and Fish supports the Americans with Disabilities Act. Anyone needing auxiliary aids to attend this event should call the number listed above. Every effort will be made for reasonable accommodations.