Montana FWP brings kids fishing day to Ninepipe Reservoir
EMILY MESSER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 weeks, 2 days AGO
Philomena Cronk waits patiently for a fish to bite. Before the event, the Jocko River Trout Hatchery stocked the Kids Fishing Pond at Ninepipe Reservoir with trout. (Emily Messer/Leader)
Lyle Cronk shows his daughter, Philomena, how to cast and wait for her fish to bite during the Ninepeipes Kid’s Fishing Day event on Saturday, May 2. (Emily Messer/Leader)
Kaylee Snyder Gardipe fishes off the Kids Fishing Pond at Ninepipe Reservoir. This was Gardipe’s second fishing adventure at the Ninepeipes Kid’s Fishing Day, last weekend. (Emily Messer/Leader)
Ryan Green picks out the best lures for his trout fishing day at the Kids Fishing Pond. (Emily Messer/Leader)
Westland Seed donated a variety of lures and baits to the Ninepeipes Kid’s Fishing Day hosted by Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks. (Emily Messer/Leader)
Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks employee Braydon Zempel helps Theo Green set up his line. (Emily Messer/Leader)
Emily Messer joined the Lake County Leader in July of 2025 after earning a B.A. degree in Journalism from the University of Montana. Emily grew up on a farm in the rolling hills of southeast Missouri and enjoys covering agriculture and conservation. She's lived in Montana since 2022 and honed her reporter craft with the UM J-School newspaper and internships with the RMEF Bugle Magazine and the Missoulian. At the Leader she covers the St. Ignatius Town Council, Polson City Commission and a variety of business, lifestyle and school news. Contact Emily Messer at [email protected] or 406.883.4343 | May 7, 2026 12:00 AM
On a cool sunny morning, the kids arrived, picking out a rod and the right lure to catch the nicest trout. This was the Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks Kids Fishing Day at Ninepipe Reservoir on Saturday, May 2, the first ever hosted at the kids' fishing pond.
Last weekend, Montana FWP coordinated with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes to waive all fees and licenses needed to fish, providing an opportunity for both experienced and inexperienced kids, a day of fishing and learning.
The free event included extra rods for kids to take home, along with lures donated by Westland Seed. Montana FWP employees were there ready to help bait the hook, teach them how to cast and clean their fish.
Steve Larson, maintenance manager for Ninepipe Reservoir, explained that other fishing events or tournaments have been held at places such as Spring Creek during Pioneer Days, but this was the first for the kids' pond.
To make sure there were plenty of fish for everyone, the Jocko River Trout Hatchery stocked the pond with trout. The hatchery typically stocks two smaller batches of trout each month, but this month they brought the entire allotment in one trip.
Many kids gathered around the pond in the early morning, learning the art of waiting for the bobber to go down, how to cast their line and how to put the gross worm on the hook.
Lyle Cronk shows his daughter, Philomena, how to cast and wait for her fish to bite during the Ninepeipes Kid’s Fishing Day event on Saturday, May 2. (Emily Messer/Leader)
Kaylee Snyder Gardipe fishes off the Kids Fishing Pond at Ninepipe Reservoir. This was Gardipe’s second fishing adventure at the Ninepeipes Kid’s Fishing Day, last weekend. (Emily Messer/Leader)
Ryan Green picks out the best lures for his trout fishing day at the Kids Fishing Pond. (Emily Messer/Leader)
While some kids had no luck with catching any trout at the Kids Pond, some, including Kaylee Snyder Gardipe, moved down to the bridge and immediately had bass on the hook. (Emily Messer/Leader)
Westland Seed donated a variety of lures and baits to the Ninepeipes Kid’s Fishing Day hosted by Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks. (Emily Messer/Leader) 
Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks employee Braydon Zempel helps Theo Green set up his line. (Emily Messer/Leader)ARTICLES BY EMILY MESSER
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