Teach a child to fish and the fun lasts all summer

From staff reports

Always wanted to learn to fish? Curious about local fish species? Need more information about fishing regulations, or preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species? The wait is over! Stop by Loon Lake in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on Saturday, July 2, for a day of festivities aiming to provide safe and barrier-free opportunities to engage youth (primarily K-5th graders) in fishing!

Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., collect a Junior Angler booklet from the Mobile Visitor Center (Bear Force One) at Loon Lake, and complete all activity stations to learn about aquatic food webs, water safety, Leave No Trace, the importance of fishing to the Anishinaabek, etc. Once the Junior Angler booklet is complete, return it to Bear Force One to earn a Junior Angler badge and other goodies!

Completing the Junior Angler booklet and activities takes about one hour, so please plan on arriving to Loon Lake by 1:00 p.m. to ensure there is enough time to complete all stations. This event is the first of several Junior Angler Day events funded by a generous grant from the National Park Foundation that will be happening at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore this summer.

All programs are free with a valid park entrance pass. Passes may be purchased at the Phillip A. Hart Visitor Center in Empire, Michigan, and cost $25 (per vehicle) for seven days, $45 for an annual Sleeping Bear Dunes pass, or $80 (or less) for the America the Beautiful – National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands pass series. Learn more by clicking here.