37th Annual KID’S Fish Festival
July 25th, 2026 from 8-1

 SnowCreek Ponds on Old Mammoth Road, Mammoth Lakes

Plenty of huge trophy trout from Desert Springs Trout Farm will be stocked in these beautiful High Sierra ponds with Mammoth Mountain forming a picturesque backdrop. This popular event is FREE for kids 14 and under and will run from 8am to 1pm. Rods and reels are provided, or you can bring your own. Come later, receive more individual attention from our guides, and have lunch. Our fish keep biting all day long!

Fisheries staff from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) will be available to lend a hand and teach children a little about California’s trout fisheries. Kids will receive information on the life of a hatchery trout along with a special coloring book and a junior fishing license. DFW is also bringing their popular “Fishing in the City” Program to teach kids about the joys of fishing. These wonderful volunteers will bring loaner rods and reels and teach casting techniques. Visit DFW’s Dissection and Entomology booths. They will catch the pond’s aquatic insects and bring microscopes so the kids can learn the food sources for trout, as well as how a trout looks dissected. CDFW’s Hunter Safety Education Program is bringing archery equipment and offering lessons with target practice.

Our regional Game Wardens will be on hand to answer questions about becoming a warden and they will be bringing their Recruitment Trailer which is filled with taxidermied California fish, birds and animals. We have our local mascots coming to entertain the kids and provide fun photo ops. Bucky from June Mountain Ski Area will be joined by Woolly from Mammoth Mountain Ski Area and Sparky from the Mammoth Lakes Fire Department.

Fishing guides from the Eastern Sierra will also be available to help and instruct. We want every child to catch a fish! There is complimentary fish cleaning available so the kids can take their catch home and have it for dinner. More guides come from Berkley/Pure Fishing and they bring fun freebies with them! For many years these dedicated volunteers have donated Power Bait and brought guides to teach kids and their parents to learn to fish. If you can’t catch fish, the Berkley Boys are here to make sure you land a beauty! Or we will cook your trout there and if you haven’t tasted “Alpers” trout, you are in for a treat!

This is a family weekend in Mammoth not to be missed. Mammoth is presenting 2 FREE family festivals! VillageFest has California’s highest Rib and Chili cook-off, live music all 3 days, a beer garden, and plenty of fun activities for all ages, plus a crawdad boil! Facebook.com/mammothvillagefest.

Our sponsor is the Town of Mammoth Lakes who has graciously provided funding for the festival. Our 1 pound on up stocked trophy trout are donated by the Town of Mammoth Lakes from Desert Springs Trout Farm in Oregon. Thanks to SnowCreek Resort for the use of their beautiful ponds. For more information, call Gaye at (760) 937-2942 or  EasternSierraArtist@gmail.com. For lodging information, MonoCounty.org and VisitMammoth.com.
See you the last Saturday of July!