Tom Summerille from West Havern helps his son Josh bait his hook Friday, June 11, 2021 at Hyrum Dam. The area reservoirs, ponds and rivers will be busy Saturday for Free Fishing Day.
LOGAN – Don’t have a fishing license and want to introduce your children or grandchildren to the joy of sinking a worm? Saturday, June 12 is your time to shine. It’s Free Fishing Day and it is the perfect opportunity to give it a try and help others enjoy the sport.
Gary Howes, the Logan Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Fisheries Experiment Station hatchery manager, said they’ve stocked the Logan River at First, Second and Third dams on Friday in anticipation of Saturday’s Free Fish Day.
“We recently stocked Wellsville with brood stock,” he said. “Typically, those fish are six years old and are big fish.”
Howes said every two weeks during the fishing season they are putting about 1,400 fish into the area fisheries.
Free Fishing Day allows anyone to fish at any public waterbody in Utah without a license. It’s a great day not only for beginning anglers to give fishing a try, but is also a fun time for experienced anglers too.
“Because you don’t need a license to fish that day, it’s the perfect time to take someone with you and introduce them to the sport,” Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Aquatics Section Assistant Chief Craig Walker said. “Early June is one of the best times to fish in Utah. All of the fish in the state, both warm-water and cold-water species, are active and willing to bite this time of the year.”
Walker wanted to encourage anglers to go fishing early in the season this year because of the drought.
While some waterbodies may be impacted by low water levels this year, the majority of the fishing in Utah will be great.
If you are taking someone fishing for their first time, you can commemorate their first catch with a fun DWR certificate. You can print out the certificate at home and fill in the details to document the occasion.
Anglers should note that while Free Fishing Day waives the requirement for having a fishing license, entrance fees to state parks and other areas will still apply.
Local community ponds are also a great option if you need a quick, close-to-home option for fishing. There are 57 located around Utah. In Cache Valley, Wellsville and Skyler’s Pond located in Willow Park are two community ponds with easy access. Anglers can also visit the Fish Utah map on the DWR website to find their nearest fishing area.
Mantua Reservoir between Logan and Brigham City offers bluegill, largemouth bass, rainbow trout, yellow perch and green sunfish. The bluegill are typically near shore in June, so it’s good fishing for beginners. Hyrum State Park offers rainbow trout, brown trout, yellow perch, largemouth bass and bluegill.
People are encouraged to enjoy fine people, being outdoors, breathing some clean air and hopefully a good catch.
In 2020, the DWR stocked 8,241,139 fish into 626 local waterbodies. That’s a total of 1,170,330 pounds of fish. Logan’s Fisheries stocked nearly 253,000 in northern Utah lakes, rivers, creeks and ponds. Trout raised here end up being released in Box Elder, Rich and Weber counties and June suckers are transported to Utah County.