We are right in the middle of National Fishing and Boating Week and just wanted to remind you of the many opportunities at your national wildlife refuges. 
Great fishing is available on more than 270 national wildlife refuges in every part of the country, and we stock more than 130 million chinook salmon, rainbow trout, walleye, striped bass and other species of fish every year, in many places we love to fish, to give recreation opportunities to America’s 33 million anglers who spent $41.8 billion in pursuit of their favored pastime in 2011. We also sponsor or help sponsor free fishing days.
And even more. Along with partners, we just celebrated the grand opening of a major renovation of the adjacent trout stream at Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery in Kentucky. Actually, renovation isn’t really correct. It is a brand new stream, totally man-made, more than one mile long, as opposed to the 380-foot stream it replaced. It should be full of trout, but Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Fisheries Division Assistant Director Mike Hardin warns “It’s going to be a challenging stream to fish.”
Maybe not trout, do you have a hankering to catch some salmon? The Kenai River holds the world record for king and red salmon taken by rod and reel. Part of the Kenai River is within Kenai National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.
When I was younger, the best fish I caught were bass. There are plenty of spots to catch bass on national wildlife refuges, and they include two of the refuges named in the 2016 Top 100 Family Fishing & Boating Spots in America – John Heinz at Tinicum National Wildlife Refuge in Philadelphia and Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge in Texas.
Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge in California is also list among the Top 100 Family Fishing & Boating Spots.
The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation compiles the list every year from the votes of anglers and boaters. About 35,000 voted in support of their favorite spots.
Fishing is fun and relaxing, and it helps you develop a true appreciaiton for nature. Plus, it is something the whole family can enjoy.
Don’t let one of the best opportunities nature offers pass you by.