State of New Jersey Seal Official Site of The State of New Jersey

10th Annual Hooked On Fishing – Not On Drugs Youth Fishing Challenge

Host Sites in All 21 Counties!

Saturday, Free Fishing Day, June 7, 2025 when a fishing license and trout stamp is NOT required for anyone age 16 and over.

Sunday, June 8, 2025 when a fishing license and trout stamp is required for anyone age 16 and over.

The Hooked on Fishing - Not on Drugs Program‘s Youth Fishing Challenge is a free statewide event to promote fishing among youths and their families.

To participate in this event, please contact the site-specific host for registration details.

This event is sponsored by NJDEP Fish & Wildlife’s Hooked on Fishing - Not on Drugs Program.

10th Annual Hooked On Fishing – Not On Drugs Youth Fishing Challenge

Youth Fishing Challenge Host Sites Web Map

New Jersey’s Hooked on Fishing-Not on Drugs Program

Saturday, June 7

Atlantic

Atlantic County HOFNOD Coalition
Lake Lenape Park East, 753 Park Road, Mays Landing, NJ 08330
10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Erin Sharpe – (609) 703-8025esharpe@gehrhsd.net

Egg Harbor Township Recreation / Egg Harbor Township Municipal Alliance
EHT Nature Reserve, 317 Zion Road, Egg Harbor Twp., NJ 08234
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Dena Danz – (609) 272-8120recreation@ehtgov.org

Northfield Municipal Alliance
Birch Grove Park, 1675 Burton Avenue, Northfield, NJ 08225
Registration begins at 9:30am, fishing from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Shannon Campbell – (609) 641-2832 x 125 – SCampbell@cityofnorthfield.org

Bergen

Hackensack Riverkeeper
Oradell Reservoir, 200 Lake Shore Drive, Haworth, NJ 07641
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Jodi Jamieson – (201) 968-0808info@hackensackriverkeeper.org

Old Tappan Environmental Commission
Bonnabel Nature Park , Lachmund’s Bend on Old Tappan Road, across from Recktenwald Court and Lindy Place, Old Tappan, NJ 07675
12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Dave Keil  – (201) 937-3515  – keildj36@gmail.com

Westwood Police Department
Pascack Brook County Park, 150 Emerson Road, Westwood, NJ 07675
9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Ryan Casey – (201) 919-6065rcasey@westwoodnj.gov

Burlington

City of Beverly Community Events
Riverfront Park/Delaware River, 44 Broad Street Beverly NJ 08010
9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Bernadine Williams – (609) 680-6954bwilliams@thecityofbeverly.com

Edgewater Park Parks & Community Engagement
Roosevelt Park Pond, Cherrix Ave., Edgewater Park, NJ 08010
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Odessa Santiago – (609) 712-1646pce@edgewaterpark-nj.com

Palmyra Cove Environmental Education Foundation, Burlington County Bridge Commission
Palmyra Cove Nature Preserve, 1335 NJ Rt. 73 North, Palmyra, NJ 08065
10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Mason Kramer – (856) 735-1267mkramer@bcbridges.org

Willingboro Recreation & Parks Department
Crystal Lake, 15 Industrial Drive, Willingboro, NJ 08046
8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Kendall Brunson – (609) 877-2200 x 1111kbrunson@willingboronj.gov

Camden

Center for Aquatic Sciences with Discover the Delaware
Cramer Hill Waterfront Park, 1590 Pierce Ave, Camden, NJ 08105
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Bill Plianthos – (856) 361-1018wplianthos@aquaticsciences.org

Lindenwold Police Department
Lake Worth, Lake Worth, Lindenwold, NJ, 08021
8:00 am – 11:00 am
Dustin Dilger – (856) 784-7566 x 2291ddilger@Lindenwoldpd.com

Cape May

Belleplain State Forest
Lake Nummy, 1 Henkensifkin Road, Woodbine, NJ 08270
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Gina Morgan – (609) 861-2404  – gina.morgan@dep.nj.gov

Tightlines 4-H Fishing Club
Avalon Fishing Pier, 32nd Street and the Boardwalk, Avalon, NJ 08202
10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Ruth Thraen – (609) 602-1577rathraen@comcast.net

Cumberland

Millville Recreation
Corson Park, Route 49 and Wade Boulevard, Millville, New Jersey 083332
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Samantha Cruz – (856) 825-7000 x 7394recreation@millvillenj.gov

Essex

Essex County Parks Department
Monte Irvin Orange Park, Center Street and South Harrison Street, Orange, NJ 07050
8:00 am – 10:30 am
David Alexander – (973) 228-8776
Monte Irvin Orange Park

Weequahic Park Association (WPA)
Weequahic Pond, 92 Thomas Carmichael Dr., Newark, NJ 07114
10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Wynnie-Fred Victor Hinds – (862) 371-5420info@weequahicparkassociation.org

Gloucester

Premier Scout Family of Gloucester County
Stewart Lake
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Jerry Bakanowsky – (856) 364-3300Premscoutfam@gmail.com

Hudson

North Bergen Parks & Recreation
James J Braddock North Hudson Park, 9003 Bergenline Avenue, North Bergen, NJ 07047
11:00 am – 3:00 pm
James Avella – (201) 519-0792javella@northbergen.org

Hunterdon

Kingwood Township Parks & Recreation
Kingwood Twp. Department of Public Works, nan
8:00 am – 12:00 pm
David Hewitt  – (908) 399-7788Ironmannj09@gmail.com

Mercer

Hopewell Valley YMCA
Hopewell Valley YMCA, 1646 Reed Road, Pennington, NJ 08534
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Daniel Williams – (609) 737-3048info@hvymca.org

Old School Outdoors
Rosedale Lake, Rosedale Lake Parking Area, Pennington, NJ 08534
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
John Bullock – (609) 227-8142osoutdoorsnj@gmail.com

Middlesex

East Brunswick Recreation and Parks
Dallenbach Lake, 380 Dunhams Corner Rd., East Brunswick, NJ 08816
8:00 am – 11:00 am
Ryan Murphy – (732) 390-6797recreation@eastbrunswick.org

Township of Plainsboro
Mill Pond Park, 36 Maple Ave., Plainsboro Twp., NJ 08536
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Sam Meleski – (609) 799-0909 x 1707smeleski@plainsboronj.com

Monmouth

Howell Township
Alfred C. Sauer Park – Echo Lake, 1225 Maxim-Southard Road, Howell Twp., NJ 07731
8:00 am – 11:30 pm
Steven Fecher – (732) 938-4500 x 2106sfecher@twp.howell.nj.us

Matawan Recreation Department
Lake Lefferts, Ravine Drive, Matawan NJ
10:00 am – 12:30 pm
Cathy Zavorskas – (732) 566-3898recreation@matawanborough.com

Neptune Township Recreation & Hamilton Firehouse
Hamilton Firehouse Pond, 10 Jumping Brook Rd. Neptune Township, NJ 07753
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Cory Zarrella – (732) 869-1202czarrella@neptunetownship.org

West Long Branch Recreational Dept.
Franklin Lake, Lakeview Ave, West Long Branch, NJ 07764
9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Jerry Natale – (732) 693-9462lttlzke@comcast.net

Morris

Hidden Lake of Succasunna NJ
Hidden Lake of Succasunna, 35 Green Lane, Succasunna, NJ 07876
8:00 am – 3:00 pm
Candi Krueger – (973) 229-5838hiddenlake35@gmail.com

Jefferson Township Police Department
High School Pond, 1010 Weldon Road, Oak Ridge, NJ 07438
8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Erin Ackerly – (973) 208-6156 – eackerly@jeffersonpolice.com

Lincoln Park Recreation Department
Lincoln Park Community Lake, 37 Ryerson Ave, Lincoln Park, NJ 07035
8:00 am – 10:00 am
Claudine Davis – (201) 213-3197cdavis@bolp.org

Pequannock Township
Greenview Park, 9 Robert Place, Pequannock Township, NJ 07440
9:00 am – 11:00 am
Emily Wall – (973) 835-5700 x 125ewall@peqtwp.org

Township of Hanover Recreation & Parks
Malapardis Park Pond, 211 Malapardis Road, Cedar Knolls, NJ 07927
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Denise M. Brennan – (973) 428-2463 – dbrennan@hanovertownship.com

Ocean

Manchester PAL
Pine Lake, 2200-2236 Lake Dr, Toms River, NJ 08757
8:30 am – 1:00 pm
(732) 657-7876

Ocean County Park
Lake Shenandoah County Park, 660 Ocean Ave.(Rt. 88)  Lakewood, NJ 08701
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Christopher Claus – (732) 506-5122cclaus@co.ocean.nj.us

Plumsted Township Environmental Commission
Oakford Lake Park Gazebo, 12 Lakeview Drive, New Egypt, NJ 08533
9:30 am – 12:00 pm
Al Drucker – (609) 758-2241 x 114pio@plumsted.org

Reel Legends HOFNOD
Riverfront Landing County Park, 71E Water St, Tom’s River, NJ 08753
9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Melissa Townsend – (732) 644-4267m.townsend12@hotmail.com

Passaic

City of Passaic Recreation Department and Cultural Affairs
Third Ward Memorial Park, 350 Passaic Avenue, Passaic, NJ 07055
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Cindy Gomez or Mariana Fera – (973) 365-5525cindygomez@cityofpassaicnj.gov or mfera@cityofpassaic.gov

Haledon Police Department & Haledon Municipal Alliance
Oldham Pond, High Mountain Road & Richard Street, North Haledon, NJ 07508
8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Sgt. Jessica Funes – 973-790-4444jfunes@haledonpd.org

Shady Lake
Shady Lake, 215 Weaver Rd., West Milford, NJ 07480
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Wyatt Walker – (201) 304-1702wyatt2193@yahoo.com

Salem

USFWS Cape May & Supawna Meadows NWR
Supawna Meadows Pond, Refuge Entrance Road, Pennsville, NJ 08070
8:00 am – 2:00 pm
Joseph Donnelly – (609) 463-0994joseph_donnelly@fws.gov

Somerset

Raritan Headwaters Association
Fairview Farm Wildlife Preserve Pond, 2121 Larger Cross Road, Bedminster, NJ 07921
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Mara Tippett – (908) 234-1852mtippett@raritanheadwaters.org

Sussex

Camp Linwood MacDonald
Camp Linwood MacDonald Pond, 1 Flatbrook Rd, Sandyston, NJ 07826
10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Evan Burkhart – (973) 948-7090eburkhart@newarkymca.org

Lafayette Economic Develpement Committee
Lafayette Pond, 115 Rt 15, Lafayette, NJ 07848
10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Stephanie Pizzulo – (973) 383-1817landuse@lafayettetwp.org

Lake Stockholm CC&CA
New Beach, 62 Lakeside Ave, Stockholm, NJ 07460
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Kira Shellowsky – (973) 697-5165Treasurer@lakestockholm.com

Patriots Path Council Boy Scouts of America
Mt. Allamuchy Scout Reservation, 750 Waterloo Road, Stanhope, NJ 07874
8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Michael Loughman – (973) 714-7308michael.loughman@scouting.org

Union

City of Plainfield, Division of Parks and Recreation
Cedar Brook Park, Park Drive, Plainfield, NJ 07060
9:00 am – 11:00 am
Veronica Taylor – (908) 753-3097veronica.taylor@plainfieldnj.gov

Warren

Appalachian Mountain Club
Catfish Pond, 50 Camp Mohican Road, Hardwick Twp., NJ 07825
8:00 am – 3:00 pm
Christine Molinski – (908) 362-5670Cmolinski@outdoors.org

Mountain Lake Community Association – Cancelled due to HAB Advisory Level
Mountain Lake, 137 Lakeside Dr W, Belvidere, NJ 07823
8:00 am – 1:00 pm
Robert Ballou – (401) 788-0085MLCA.wag@gmail.com

Sunday, June 8

Hunterdon

Union Township Environmental Commission of Hunterdon County
Manny’s Pond at Hoffman Park
26 Baptist Church Road, Hampton NJ 08827
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Steve Wardell – UTEC@uniontwp-hcnj.org

Salem

Salem River Inn
91 Country Club Road, Salem, NJ 08079
9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Jim Grant – (609) 420-8290jimgrant423@gmail.com

Sussex

Byram Township Recreation
Cranberry Lake Public Ramp, S. Shore Rd, Byram Township, NJ 07821
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
(973) 347-2500 x 160recreation@byramtwp.org

Friends of the New Jersey School of Conservation
Lake Wapalanne, 1 Wapalanna Road, Sandyston NJ 07826
10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Mike Roche – (732) 410-6104info@friendsofnjsoc.org

Last Update: June 6th, 2025