Get Ready Michigan's Free Fishing Weekend This Saturday & Sunday

Lures? Check.

Bait? Check.

Long johns and warm socks? Check and check.

Money for a fishing license? Don't worry about it...you won't need it this weekend in Michigan.

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According to the Michigan DNR website, this weekend is one of two weekends a year here in Michigan where "families and friends can enjoy one of Michigan's premier outdoor activities, Michigan Fishing, for FREE!". The next weekend is this summer, June 11th, and 12th.

Michigan Free Fishing Weekend

This weekend, February 19th and 20th, Michigan DNR will waive license fees. And keep in mind, "all fishing regulations will still apply." So you may want to double-check those, here. Besides that, you're free to fish in any inland or Great Lake in the state of Michigan for whatever species of fish you might like.

In addition to free fishing across Michigan, Lansing has something special going on, too. If you'd like to test your fishing skills against others, there's a community event and free competition happening at Lake Lansing.

Lake Lansing Ice Fishing Event

Make sure you dress warmly because it's a free ice fishing event. There are prizes for the biggest Panfish and biggest Pike caught. And if you have the means to help, they are also hosting a food drive to benefit the Greater Lansing Food Bank.

If you'd like to participate in the free ice fishing event, you'll want to meet at Lake Lansing Park South at the beach. Registration starts at 8 am and the competition will kick off at 8:30. You can check out more info on the event, here.

Polished Rocks From The Great Lakes

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Many of the included towns jump out at the casual observer as popular summer-rental spots--the Ozarks' Branson, Missouri, or Arizona's Lake Havasu--it might surprise you to dive deeper into some quality-of-life offerings beyond the beach and vacation homes. You'll likely pick up some knowledge from a wide range of Americana: one of the last remaining 1950s-style drive-ins in the Midwest; a Florida town that started as a Civil War veteran retirement area; an island boasting some of the country's top public schools and wealth-earners right in the middle of a lake between Seattle and Bellevue; and even a California town containing much more than Johnny Cash's prison blues.