Planning Your National Forest Adventure
To give you a jumpstart on planning your National Forest fishing trip, watch the Passport To Adventure video below about fishing YOUR National Forests. And to jumpstart an entire classroom of students or your household family about planning their National Forest fishing adventure, have your teacher (or parent) download this free peer-driven lesson below that meets educational standards.
Unlike so many lakes and rivers across the country, all the lakes and rivers on National Forests belong to YOU. That’s right, they’re part of your National Forests for you to explore and enjoy. A good place to start with general information is here on the Forest Service fishing page.
Next, to zero in on National Forest fishing opportunities where you live or vacation, begin with your Forest Service Region. Then click on your Region Office, then Find A Forest, then click on the State and Forest near you. After you click GO, you’ll get detailed info on planning your fishing adventure in your select forest. Then explore the dropdown menu of View All Opportunities.
Then you can explore any number of combinations such as camping-hiking-fishing on that forest. And as you’ll discover when you watch the videos here, a trip to the Forest Office can also help with maps, information and fishing opportunities. By clicking on the Forest Adventure Awaits You Here button, you’ll find almost everything you need to plan your family fishing adventure. And don’t be shy about actually calling the Forest Office where you’ll be fishing. They’re there to help you have a safe and enjoyable adventure.
Unlike Magellan or Columbus who didn’t have maps to plan their big adventures, the Forest Service offers all kinds of helpful maps here. To chart where to go fishing on your target lake, Recreation-Opportunities on your Forest website, or, most states also offer free online lake depth contour and structure maps. Then of course, a simple online search should reveal other lake mapping apps and sources.
US Forest Service Maps
To find out what species are biting, simply call your forest’s Region Office and chat with them. Also, ask if there’s a nearby bait and tackle shop that you can visit or call to get more advice on what fish species are biting on particular baits or lures. And of course, check online for your state regulations on which species are in season to catch and bag limits.
With all this planning, which if often part of building the anticipation for your adventure, take a moment to also plan on being successful catching your family fish dinner. To help you with properly cleaning and tastefully preparing your fish dinner, check out the bonus videos below.
Fishin for Food-N-Fun
Panfish In The Pan
Finally, here’s the link to Take-Me-Fishing website that offers all kinds of helpful information and resources on fishing, no matter where you live or your angling destinations.
To give you a sense of what family fishing adventures await you and your family or friends in some of America’s select National Forests, explore the collection of feature videos, classroom videos and lesson activities. And before you know it, you’ll feel that tug on the end of your line, and shout out… “FISH ON!”
