GLADSTONE — Kids Fishing Day is a longstanding free event introducing youth 16 years old and under to fishing. Hiawatha National Forest, together with numerous partners and volunteers, will once again be sponsoring two Kids Fishing Day events on Saturday, June 8. One event will be held at the Camp Seven Lake Campground (near Rapid River), and the other will be at Castle Rock Ponds (near St. Ignace). Both events include a variety of family-friendly activities throughout the day.

This year marks the 23rd Anniversary of the Castle Rock Ponds event. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will include booths, educational materials, fishing, prizes and refreshments.

This year marks the 28th Anniversary of the Camp Seven Lake Campground event, youth can participate in a casting contest, raffle prizes, minnow races, face painting, free food, fly Fishing demonstrations, and two fishing ponds for kids ages 12 and under. Professional fisherman Greg Karch will be returning with his “Backyard Bass” gear and will teach youngsters how to cast. Smokey Bear will be there as well. The first 300 children to attend will receive a free goodie bag with items donated by fishing tackle manufacturers. Thanks to generous donations from area businesses and service organizations, there will be abundant raffle prizes for participants which include fishing rods, tackle boxes and other outdoor items. Free food donated by local merchants from Manistique, Escanaba, Gladstone and Rapid River will be served up by the Bay de Noc Great Lakes Sports Fishermen.

June 8 is also the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Free Fishing weekend so all fishing license fees are waived for residents and out-of-state visitors alike. All fishing regulations will still apply. If you would like to combine camping into the weekend, check out the Hiawatha National Forest campgrounds nearby. For example, Camp Seven Campground is on site of the Camp Seven Lake event, and for the Castle Rock Pond event, Lake Michigan Campground is nearby. Or, if you are looking to reserve a more secluded, rustic camping experience, there are dispersed campsites located on nearby Lyman and Gooseneck Lakes. To check campsite availability and make reservations, contact Recreation.gov to reserve a campsite by calling 1-877-444-6777 or by going to www.recreation.gov.