After a year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Connor Gorsuch Kids Fishing Day is back at the Sault Ste. Marie Kids Fishing Pond at Rotary Park. This year’s event will be held 8-11 a.m. on Saturday, July 31. 

Kids Fishing Day is an opportunity for kids to catch trout and win prizes, all through the generosity of a variety of local businesses, organizations and volunteers. Bait, food, drinks and fish-cleaning services are all provided free of charge. Some fishing rods and tackle are available for those who need it.

The event is held at the Kids Fishing Pond at Rotary Park, which opened for the season earlier this month. Maintained by Cloverland Electrical Cooperative, the City of Sault Ste. Marie, and Lake Superior State University, the pond is in a unique setting along the St. Mary’s River shipping channel. It is open to fishing for kids 16-under.

“All of the fish going into the pond this year are coming from the Jordan River National Fish Hatchery,” said Roger Greil, who has been leading the efforts at the pond since it was established in 2004. “The hatchery provided fish last year, too, when the pond was open but our annual Kids Fishing Day was cancelled. Without them, we would not have fish for the kids to catch.”

Greil said the Jordan River Hatchery is providing 3,000 trout this year, with 1,000 rainbow trout being stocked the night before Kids Fishing Day. The pond will be closed that evening to increase the chances of kids catching fish the next day.

“The fish we’re stocking are part of the Jordan River National Fish Hatchery fishing initiative, where we provide fish to groups that promote free and accessible youth fishing opportunities across the state of Michigan,” said Roger Gordon, manager of the federal hatchery. “With the success of the pond last year, in spite of the pandemic, we are very pleased to be able to help out again this year.”

Pendills Creek National Fish Hatchery has donated fish for the pond in the past, too, as has the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources, and many people have donated toward the cause.

Registration for Kids Fishing Day will run from 8-9 a.m. on the day of the event. Kids 8-under can fish from 9-9:30 a.m., kids 9-16 can fish from 9:30-10 a.m., and all age groups can fish at 10 a.m. Look for more information on the Sault CVB web page and Facebook account.

The Sault Kids Fishing Pond is funded through the Sault Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Sault Area Foundation for Education (SAFE), a 501© 3 foundation (tax I.D. # 46-0739920).

To help keep the pond successful, write Sault Area Foundation for Education, P.O. Box 1000 or 225 E. Portage Ave., Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. 49783.

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Thanks to guest writer Tom Pink who provided this blog post.