Load up your fishing poles and bait for a great weekend activity! In case you need some guidance, sign up for Fishing Lessons through the Conservation Nature Center. The class takes place on May 26 and a fishing license isn’t necessary. Participants will learn about fishing equipment, casting, rigging a fishing rod, baiting a hook, and proper fish handling, for ages 7 and up.

After those lessons, your family will be ready for Youth Catch & Release Day on Saturday, June 18th for a free day of fishing at Cape County Park North! Bring your own poles and bait, and the Jaycees will provide lunch. The first 50 kids will receive an event t-shirt! Come ready for a fun morning of fishing! No pre-registration is necessary. Click here for a downloadable flyer with more info.

Cape Girardeau’s North County Park is a local fishing favorite, next to the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center with a kid’s only fishing pond, as well as a large lake where everyone in the family can fish. The nature center also has fishing equipment available to borrow and will often even have bait on hand.

Recently, Capaha Park, the oldest park in Cape Girardeau’s park system, got some much-needed upgrades including a new boardwalk fishing pier and increasing fish diversity to enhance the 3.5-acre pond. Located near Southeast Missouri State University at Broadway and West End Boulevard, the park covers over 39 acres. In addition to the pond, the park is home to a collegiate-size baseball field, a basketball court, three play structures, one restroom facility, three rentable shelters, a band shell, the Rose Garden, and a disc golf course.

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