I took my two sons fishing this past weekend at Huckleberry Fish Pond, which is located at the Santa Ana River Lakes in Anaheim. This is a great place for kids to try out fishing.
If you don’t have your own equipment, you can rent rods and reels at Huck’s Shack. Nets and bait are also provided, so you could pretty much walk in with just your wallet and have a great time fishing. The staff is very friendly and will help your children fish.
The best thing is that they guarantee that kids will catch fish. My boys caught four catfish in about two hours (it would have been five but dad didn’t get the net under one of the fish in time).
One thing to note is that there is no catch and release. In addition to an admission fee, you pay per pound for the fish you catch.
Many other animals roam around the pond including chickens, roosters, goats, geese and even a peacock. Don’t worry about any flying birds trying to snag your bait or fish since the entire pond area is enclosed by netting. However, the chickens will try to get your bait if you don’t keep the lids closed.
The same people that operate the Santa Ana River Lakes operate the Corona Lake off the 15 freeway. According to their website, these lakes have produced multiple state records, including:
- Santa Ana River Lakes: Largest Rainbow Trout at 27.5 pounds
- Corona Lake: Largest Catfish at over 61 pounds
My boys enjoyed it so much that they want to go fishing at a big lake. Next time, we’ll go to Corona Lake.
Click on the thumbnails below to view full-size images:
Huckleberry Fish Pond
4060 E. La Palma Ave. Anaheim, CA