MONTPELIER — Vermont’s annual, statewide Summer Free Fishing Day is Saturday, June 14 this year, and it will be highlighted by a free family fishing festival in Grand Isle as well as opening day of the state’s regular bass fishing season.

“Vermont’s Free Fishing Day gives resident and nonresident anglers the opportunity to go fishing without a license for the day in Vermont lakes and streams,” said Fish and Wildlife Interim Commissioner Andrea Shortsleeve. “Free Fishing Day is a great opportunity for an experienced angler to be a mentor to friends who have not gone fishing before. A day on the water could lead to a lifetime of great experiences and healthy local food.”

Free Fishing Day in Vermont also will be celebrated at the “Grand Isle Family Fishing Festival,” to be held at the Ed Weed Fish Culture Station at 14 Bell Hill Road in Grand Isle. The festival will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Designed for young or novice anglers and families, this exciting event offers a variety of activities to participate in — including basic fishing instruction, fish biology and ID, crafts and lure making, and more.  It also includes a chance for participants to catch big trout in a hatchery pond. No prior fishing experience is needed, and Vermont Fish and Wildlife will be supplying fishing rods, reels and bait for use by participants.

Vermont’s regular bass season also opens on June 14, marking the start of some of the hottest bass fishing action in the northeast. The season opens each year on the second Saturday in June and extends through the last day of November.

To learn more about fishing in Vermont or to purchase a fishing license, visit the Vermont Fish and Wildlife website.