COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The 41st annual Take A Kid Fishing Day will return to Branch County this Saturday , offering local youth a hands-on introduction to outdoor recreation.
Hosted by Bass Unlimited of Branch County, this year’s event features a temporary location change to Waterworks Park in Coldwater—just north of the Branch County Fairgrounds—due to ongoing construction at its traditional Rotary Park venue.
Registration will run from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at the park pavilion, with shore fishing open until the noon weigh-in for children aged 3 to 17. Participants can look forward to a day of friendly competition, free goodie bags, capped off by an outdoor lunch.
Bass Unlimited member Phil Smathers says a great time is had by both the kids and the adults
Smathers says if kids are new to the sport and don’t have a pole they will have that taken care of.
Smathers added that all kids need to be accompanied by a parent or gaurding
The popular youth event directly coincides with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Summer Free Fishing Weekend. As part of the state’s broader “Three Free” weekend spanning June 13–14, 2026, all fishing license fees are waived for both residents and out-of-state visitors.
This aligns perfectly with the local event’s goal of removing financial barriers for families wanting to try the sport. Additionally, the state initiative waives the standard Recreation Passport fee for entry into all 103 state parks and state-managed boating access sites, alongside removing license requirements for off-road vehicle (ORV) trails.
While fees are entirely paused for the weekend, local organizers remind participants that all standard state fishing size and catch limits remain strictly enforced.
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