Grab your fishing pole and get ready for a reel-y good time: it's Iowa's annual free fishing weekend.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources' free fishing weekend allows Iowans to get the experience of fishing without paying $22 for a license.
"A summer of family fun is just a short drive and a fishing pole away," Joe Larscheid, chief of the Iowa DNR’s Fisheries Bureau, said in a news release May 24. "You'll be reeling in fish and making new memories in no time."
Iowans fishing over the weekend may need to pack a rain jacket.
Saturday will bring clouds and showers, with a 60% chance of precipitation and a high of 78 degrees, National Weather Service. Sunday will have a high temperature around 75 degrees, with clouds and a 30% chance of precipitation after 1 p.m.
More:Want tickets to this year's Field of Dreams game? You'll need an Iowa ZIP code to get inside edge
In conjunction with free fishing weekend, some local fishing events are scheduled across the state.
A fishing tournament at Ankeny Lake will be from 7 to 10 a.m. Saturday by the DMACC Respiratory Therapy Club, with half the proceeds going to the Iowa Chapter Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The event will be catch and release with a photo submission, and winners will be awarded prizes at the end of the event. Registration is available through the Iowa DNR fishing calendar.
A kids fishing clinic will be held from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Saturday at Lake Petocka in Bondurant. Parents are encouraged to bring children ages 3-15 to enjoy fishing, donuts and a raffle. Pre-register online at the City of Bondurant website.
Waukee will host a family fishing clinic from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday at Triumph Park. Children in kindergarten through sixth grade are welcome to the event with parent supervision. It is recommended that participants bring their own equipment. To register online, visit the City of Waukee website.
More:Waukee's 66-acre Triumph Park opens to the public Friday
For a complete list of events in Iowa during free fishing weekend, visit the Iowa DNR's general fishing calendar online.
Grace Altenhofen is a news reporter for the Des Moines Register. She can be reached at galtenhofen@registermedia.com or on Twitter @gracealtenhofen.