Nicholas Wells finishes his summer job, trades work shoes for waders, and prepares to head to the edge of Grand River, which will be his classroom for the evening.
After finding one of the low-to-no cost parking spots still available at a few key spots in downtown Grand Rapids, he can easily unload his fishing gear.
Construction machinery hums nearby as cranes soar over the construction sites for the Acrisure Amphitheater and the USL soccer stadium. Meanwhile, the expansion of the Grand Rapids Public Museum is underway, and bulldozers are regrading North Monroe’s terraces—projects expected to allow people like Wells to wade ankle-deep into the current by late 2026.
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Tommy AllenYouth form powerful, new connections with other anglers at Hudson's Fishing Camp.
“I call it the cheapest class I’ll ever take,” Wells says, casting his line into the Grand River.
The 18-year-old is saving his summer earnings for the fall for college as he plans to study biological sciences with a focus on the fish and game industry. However, after 5 p.m., he spends his time in a different kind of class, devoted to the art of fishing.
“Everybody should know how to fish," Wells says. "It teaches you to feed yourself and forget the rest of the world for a minute.”
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Tommy AllenMichigan's more than 11,000 lakes provide a fitting setting for future anglers at Hudson's Fishing Camp.
Why this region attracts youth for fishing
Mark Tonello, fisheries habitat biologist with the
Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), ticks off the bait that hooks beginners to the sport of fishing.
“I spent time in other states like Indiana and Iowa, and they don’t have our water, let alone at the levels we have here,” he says. “You can troll Lake Michigan for salmon in the morning, then step into a cold water stream for wild brown trout and wild steelhead.”
While Minnesota boasts about its 10,000 lakes, Michigan offers 11,000 lakes, 36,000 miles of rivers, and widespread public access. That's an impressive number when considering one's recreational opportunities.
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Tommy AllenKiki and Jonathan Hudson of Hudson's Fishing Camp.
A variety of access points to our greenways and waterways, Tonello suggests, is the lure that turns curiosity into new habits as more and more youth take up these skills that will travel with them for a lifetime.
Tonello also considers fishing a form of preventive medicine. He has observed teens replace doom-scrolling with the analog-based hobby of fishing, which significantly boosts their mental well-being.
“If kids spent more time doing things like fishing, we’d have happier people and fewer bad things happening,” says Tonello.
While youth license sales surged during the pandemic, Tonello also attributes the jump to mentors and our beginner-friendly waters, such as the heavily stocked Muskegon River, one of the waterways he oversees at the DNR. He describes the Muskegon as “a place I send beginners so they can wade, catch trout, and start caring about the river’s health the same day.”
Camps that swap screens for patience
Several organizations in West Michigan – private, faith-based, and state-operated – are promoting outdoor sports and conservation among youth.
Grand Rapids native Kiki Hudson launched
Hudson’s Fishing Camp five years ago with a handful of rods and a big idea: eliminate cost barriers entirely. What began as a one-week pilot for 12 kids now runs two full three-week sessions, serving 30 campers each session, with a waitlist topping 50 – the “one of the worst days of my life,” Hudson admits, when she had to turn families away.
On Day 2, each camper walks off with a combo rod, a tackle box, and a bucket that is theirs to keep.
“No one leaves saying, ‘I’d fish if I owned my own stuff,’” Hudson says.
Over the session, awkward and tangled casts are replaced by a calm focus as campers aged 6–18 build their skills. By the end of the week, they exchange tips on bait choice, verify each other’s lifejackets for proper fit, and practice team-building exercises grounded in compassion, demonstrating a shared vision that crosses all backgrounds.
“Being on the water resets the brain,” she says. “They leave calmer and happier than when they arrived.”
Faith-driven hooks and habitat
Since April 2018, Ross Graveling has served as the executive director of
Sportspersons Ministries International, leveraging his 12-year background as a youth pastor and a theology degree from Kuyper College. His nonprofit in Wyoming aims to “connect outdoors enthusiasts with God” through programs that include DNR-approved hunter-safety classes, the yearly Salmon Showdown bass tournament, and an Alaska trip.
Graveling packs vans with the necessary equipment from donated bows, reels, and camo for each event.
“If a kid lights up at camp and cost is the barrier, we pack whatever fits to meet the need,” he says.
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Sportspersons Ministries International aims to "connect outdoors enthusiasts with God" through various programs, including DNR-approved hunter-safety classes.
His ministry’s high school bass circuit now features 160 boats across three spring weekends, a significant increase from zero teams in 2019. Graveling emphasizes that faith is only one part of its appeal.
“We call ourselves sportspersons, not sportsmen, so everyone belongs,” he says. Their welcoming organization ensures that stewardship discussions naturally follow every outing they lead or support.
Stewardship disguised as adventure
Backcountry Hunters & Anglers board member Shawn Helms began his spring this year by collecting trash, not fishing gear. He and his teenage son participated in a cleanup at Barry State Game Area, targeting an illegal dump site. The event was made more engaging through a 'junk-scavenger hunt,” as participants removed items ranging from everyday trash to large furnishings like couches and mattresses.
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Backcountry Hunters & Anglers' Shawn Helms' teenage son joins others at the at 2025 Barry State Game Area cleanup.
“(My son) called it the best game ever,” Helms says. “By the end, he couldn’t believe people thought the woods could swallow a couch.”
He states that pride in place is the initial step toward having anglers and hunters who will defend habitat and protect public lands. This effort is supported locally by the group's chapter and nationally through its U.S. membership.
Science on the school calendar
Salmon in the Classroom is the Michigan DNR’s main education outreach program. Schools apply online from Jan. 1 to April 15 for fertilized Chinook salmon eggs and classroom aquariums. Throughout winter, students track pH, temperature, and dissolved oxygen levels, and in May, they go on a field trip to release finger-length smolts into a nearby tributary.
Tonello calls it “a wormhole” into real-world science – one that enrolls more than 300 classrooms and 30,000 students annually.
A region worth visiting (and maybe even moving to)
Although city proponents promote riverfront arenas and museums as attractions for talent, the local kids exploring rivers and forests make a more convincing case for the value of fishing. When North Monroe’s terraced park opens next year, The Hudson’s Fishing Camp will likely attract more youth, both campers and counselors, who will organize clinics to teach skills like lure selection and the best salmon-fishing times, replacing lectures with practical, hands-on experiences.
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Tommy AllenHands-on learning rooted in curiosity is a big reason why Hudson's Fishing Camp has a waiting list in 2025.
“I'm excited to study biological sciences this fall, focusing on the fish and game industry," Wells says, grabbing his rod as he looks over the river. "But the river has been my teacher for years.”
From the ground to the river, youth to the future — Michigan's classroom is always open and waiting for you to simply venture.
With support from Friends of Grand Rapids Parks, Rapid Growth Media explores the future of outdoor recreation in West Michigan. This series examines key themes such as trail expansion, rural access, regional collaboration, youth engagement, economic impact, and park conservation, highlighting the opportunities and challenges shaping the region’s outdoor spaces.
Photos of Nicholas Wells and Hudson’s Fishing Camp by Tommy Allen; all other images courtesy of the respective organizations.