Free Youth Fishing Events Planned for Gifford Pinchot

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Gifford Pinchot National Forest and local partners will host free fishing events for kids and their families on June 6 and July 13. 

Both fishing rods and tackle will be available for kids to borrow and fish cleaning will be provided. Volunteers will be present to show kids how to clean fish.

The Mount St. Helens Kid’s Fishing Derby will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Merwin Park in Lake Merwin. The event will have 1,500 rainbow trout to fish in a netted off section of the lake. The fishing derby also includes a parade, storytelling inside a 40-foot-long inflatable salmon, face painting, make your own volcano, aqua-aquarium, Gyotaku-Japanese fish printing on T shirts and information on boater and water safety. The event is free and lunch will be provided. For more information, call (360) 449-7800.

The Lewis County Kid’s Fishing Derby will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Lake Scanewa. The event has been going for over 20 years. Kids can have their faces painted and participate in a number of games and fish competitions. The Gifford Pinchot National Forest is a sponsor for the Lewis County Public Utilities District Kid’s Fishing Derby. For more information, call Lewis County PUD at (360) 740-2449.



The Mount Adams Fish Education Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 13. The location for this year has changed. It will take place at Goose Lake along Forest Road 60. This year will be a scaled-down version, and participants can learn about fish and fishing activities during activities. 

A few rods and tackle will be available to borrow, but participants should bring their own, if possible. Gifford Pinchot National Forest will teach kids about helping to protect endangered species. Parking is limited. For more information, call Stephanie Caballero at (509) 395-3419.

No signups are needed for the events. Kids 14 and under can fish year-round without a license, but people age 15 and up must have a Washington state fishing license on their person and all state fishing regulations must be followed.