BETHEL — The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is offering free fishing on Maine’s waters this weekend to anyone whose license hasn’t been suspended or revoked.

To encourage fishing, the department allows people to fish for free without a license on Saturday and Sunday, June 1-2. All other rules and regulations, including bag and possession limits, apply, Doug Rafferty, department spokesman, said Wednesday in a news report.

“Fishing always provides great memories, especially when you help a child experience the joys of fishing for the first time,” Gov. Paul R. LePage said in the report. “Free fishing weekend is the perfect time for people of all ages to try their hand at fishing and see why the sport is such a beloved Maine tradition.”

It’s also why the Upper Andro Anglers Alliance and local Trout Unlimited chapters are holding the Free Family Fishing Festival from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. rain or shine on June 1 at Angevine Park on North Road in Bethel.

There will be free casting workshops and fly-tying instruction throughout the day, with complimentary rods and reels supplied by the MDIFW.

Additionally, the department will take it a step further and stock Angevine Pond ahead of time with trout for children to try to catch. The Upper Andro Anglers Alliance will also gift each young angler with a mini-tackle box complete with bobber, sinkers and hook.

“Fishing is one of the most popular ways to enjoy Maine’s great outdoors,” Chandler Woodcock, MDIFW commissioner, said in Wednesday’s news report. “There are wonderful fishing opportunities throughout the state on nearly 6,000 lakes and ponds and more than 30,000 miles of rivers and streams.”

Maine is proud to be home to more than 90 percent of the wild brook trout found in lakes and ponds and also boasts exceptional landlocked salmon, brown and rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, and plenty of other fish species that are great for children, Rafferty said.

The department stocks more than a million fish annually and manages more than 20 species of freshwater game fish, he said.

The department also offers a free fishing weekend in February each year.

For a complete list of Maine fishing regulations, including limits and sizes, visit www.mefishwildlife.com.

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