Show your kids the fun of casting into the water and the excitement when there’s a tug on the line! Come as a family to the I Can Fish! program at Spring Lake Park in North Mankato on Monday, Aug. 13 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. 

The hands-on program is for adults and children age 5 and older, and will cover all the basics, from fish identification to casting. All equipment will be provided, and all participants will get a small tackle box to take home. Participants under age 18 must be accompanied by a registered participant, parent or legal guardian. The cost is $7/person, children under 12 are free with a registered adult. Preregistration is required. Programs last approximately two hours.

Reservations are required and can be made online or by phone. 
• www.mndnr.gov/reservations.
• 866-857-2757 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. daily, excluding holidays.

I Can Fish! is part of a series of skill-building programs offered by the DNR’s Parks and Trails Division. Other programs in the series introduce camping, paddling, mountain biking and archery to beginners.

“We provide all the gear along with friendly instructors who can show you how to use it,” said Erika Rivers, director of Minnesota State Parks and Trails. “Our goal is to make it easy for busy families to discover the fun of spending time outdoors together.”

The I Can! programs are made possible with support from the Parks and Trails Fund, created after voters approved the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment in November 2008. The Parks and Trails Fund receives 14.25 percent of the three-eighths percent sales tax revenue that may only be spent to support parks and trails of regional or statewide significance.

For more information about any of the programs—including program dates, times, locations, and minimum age requirements—visit www.mndnr.gov/ican or contact the DNR Information Center at info.dnr@state.mn.us or 888-646-6367 (8 a.m.-8 p.m. Mondaythrough Friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday).