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Ogden's Glassman Pond, one of many local waterbodies where Ogden-area residents can enjoy Utah's Free Fishing Day on Saturday, June 8, 2024, is photographed Wednesday, May 29, 2024.

Ryan Aston, Standard-Examiner

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Clearfield's Steed Pond, one of many local waterbodies where Ogden-area residents can enjoy Utah's Free Fishing Day on Saturday, June 8, 2024, is photographed Wednesday, May 29, 2024.

Ryan Aston, Standard-Examiner

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An undated photo of Roy's Meadow Creek Pond, one of many local waterbodies where Ogden-area residents can enjoy Utah's Free Fishing Day on Saturday, June 8, 2024.

Photo supplied, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

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Anglers new and old will have an opportunity to get out onto Utah’s various public waterbodies and experience a day of free fishing this weekend.

Saturday is Utah’s annual Free Fishing Day, during which anyone can fish the state’s waterbodies without a license. All of the state’s other fishing laws, rules and limits, as well as waterbody-specific guidelines, still apply.

Faith Heaton Jolley, spokesperson for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, told the Standard-Examiner that the program provides an easy entry point into the activity for beginners.

“It is so much easier to get into fishing than people realize. And this is just that great opportunity to go out and try it for the first time,” Jolley said. “This day just makes it a lot more accessible and kind of user-friendly for people that are curious.”

In addition to fishing the myriad lakes, larger reservoirs and rivers in Northern Utah and beyond, residents of Weber and north Davis counties have access to several community ponds that are regularly stocked.

That includes Ogden’s Goode Ski Lake/21st Street Pond, Fort Buenaventura Pond and Glassman Pond, Meadow Creek Pond in Roy, Farr West’s Smith Family Park Pond, Clinton Park Pond, Clearfield’s Steed Pond and Mabey Pond, Jensen Nature Park Pond in Syracuse and Layton’s Andy Adams Reservoir.

Jolley noted that local ponds typically are stocked with rainbow trout and channel catfish. However, other varieties of fish can be found, including bluegill, black crappie, green sunfish, largemouth bass and more. For pond-specific information, check DWR/Fish Utah’s community fisheries map, accessible via https://wildlife.utah.gov/community-fisheries.html. Stocking data is updated regularly.

New anglers can commemorate their first catches with a DWR certificate, which also is available at https://wildlife.utah.gov/my-first-catch.html for home printing.