Maramec Spring Park will be packed with young anglers on Saturday, May 16 for Kids Fishing Day, hosted by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the James Foundation. The annual event aims to introduce kids to the joys of fishing and create a memorable experience for families.

Any vehicle with children qualifies for free park entry, and kids can also receive their daily fishing tags at no cost. The park counts anyone aged 15 or younger as a child.

The park will open at 5:30 a.m. and fishing hours run from 6:30 a.m. to 8:15 p.m. The event will be held in rain or shine and is one of Maramec’s most popular annual fishing events. The entire upper half of the spring branch will be reserved as a kid-friendly fishing zone. 

MDC will be stocking the stream with rainbow trout to ensure there are plenty of fish for everyone to catch. There will be three trout stocked for each estimated attendee, and the event usually sees around 600 kids. Tagged fish and around 10 lunkers will be stocked that can be redeemed for prizes. 

Free hotdogs and soda will be available to everyone and Kool Vibz Food Truck will have snow cones for purchase. The Trout Fraternity, Sports Club and Chamber of Commerce will all be on site to hand out prizes and food.

There will be plenty of activities going on throughout the day to keep kids entertained. World Bird Sanctuary will be at the park featuring a live bald eagle. There will also be an archery range set up for kids to test their skills, t-shirt painting for those who want to get creative and a game called “Bass in the Grass” to get kids moving.

For kids who enjoy a little friendly competition, there will be a casting contest in the morning with prizes to win. Image Taxidermy Studios will do a free replica mount of the largest trout caught by a kid and Missouri Trout Fishermen’s Association will be giving away fishing rods, bikes and more at their tent.

Attendees have a chance to win some big raffle prizes, including a guided trout fishing trip on Lake Taneycomo from CastAway Charters, a guided smallmouth bass fishing trip on the Gasconade River from Gasconade River Guide and a 30-inch handcrafted brown trout wood carving.

Flyfishers at the Crossing, a St. Louis fly fishing nonprofit, will also be offering free fly casting and jig tying lessons.

For families who are new to fishing, volunteers will be available to help kids get started and provide support throughout the day. There are about 30 fishing rods available to loan, but families are encouraged to bring their own if they have them.

“If you don’t have anything, don’t shy away,” Park Director Wes Swee said. “Definitely come down and there’ll be people here to help you out, show you how to rig it up and catch fish. And that’s the whole idea, is that the kids are able to catch fish, get that core memory embedded in their head, so they keep going fishing year after year.”

The event is a great opportunity for families to enjoy the outdoors together, socialize and experience a fun day of fishing. For more information, call the park at 573-265-7124.