Wish your kids would move more than video game joysticks over the summer break? It’s a good goal. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, regular physical activity helps children improve their self-confidence, school achievements, social connectedness, and positive family relationships. The best way to get bodies moving is to make it fun. Here are three ways your family can have fun together.

Fishing

by Sara Cunningham-Cooper

Have you been thinking of ways to entertain the family during the summer? Why not introduce them, and yourself, to fishing? Though it’s not a physically challenging sport, it is good family fun.

Amazingly, dry, windy Oklahoma actually has more shoreline than the East and Gulf Coasts combined. That equates to some of the most scenic fishing spots, along with a plethora of fish in a wide range of species, right here in Oklahoma. Anybody can drop a line and give fishing a try at any of the lakes and resorts throughout the state.

Opportunities to Learn

The Kid’s Fishing Derby, held at Arcadia Lake in early June, is a great way to introduce your kids to the fun of fishing. Bring your own equipment, dress for the weather, and enjoy the free fishing fun. The derby runs from 7:30am-noon at Spring Creek Park off of 15th, east of I-35 in Edmond. Various prizes will be awarded at 11am. For details, call 216-7471.

Kids ages 5-15 can participate in any of nine free fishing clinics held around the state. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult and participants over 16 must have a city fishing permit and state fishing license. Fishing poles, tackle, and bait will be provided. Each clinic is held from 8-10am. To register, call the HB Parsons Fish Hatchery at 755-4014.

Oklahoma’s "Menu" of Fish

The clear waters of Broken Bow Reservoir are filled with trout.
Lone Chimney Lake is home to bass, catfish, and crappie.
Foss Lake is surrounded by Foss Lake State Park and is a great spot to find walleye, bass, and crappie.
Lake Texoma, on the Texas-Oklahoma border, provides superb fishing. It is the state’s second largest lake, with fish varieties including striper, catfish, and small-mouth bass.
Lakes Hugo, Sardis, Eufaula, John Wells, and Clayton, all found in the southeast, offer some of the best bass and bluegill catches. Avid fishermen flock to Hugo Lake for its fish, but this recreation area offers many more activities and is a great getaway for the whole family.
White, sandy beaches and clear blue water make for fantastic fishing (striper, walleye, catfish, and bass) at Lake Keystone, near Tulsa.
Lake Tenkiller is unique in that it offers a children’s fishing pond along with fishing boat rentals.
Lake Wister State Park, in the scenic Ouachita Mountains of Southeast Oklahoma, boasts some of the finest fishing in Oklahoma.
The Lake of the Arbuckles near Davis is a favorite for fall fishing.
The Blue River, near Tishomingo, is a popular spot for fly-fishing and exceptional trout fishing.

 

Sara Cunningham-Cooper has two degrees from the University of California, San Diego and a Masters degree from the University of Massachusetts, Boston.