Third grader Ryder Lagerson, left, uses his headlight to help his Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Sciences classmate and Josiah Holloway, right, try to catch a fish during an ice fishing outing Friday, Feb. 24, 2017 at Sport Lake in Soldotna, Alaska. Hundreds of students from multiple Kenai Peninsula School District schools take part in the Alaska Department of Fish and Game's "Salmon in the Classroom" program each year, which includes three ice fishing outings in the winter. (Megan Pacer/Peninsula Clarion)

Third grader Ryder Lagerson, left, uses his headlight to help his Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Sciences classmate and Josiah Holloway, right, try to catch a fish during an ice fishing outing Friday, Feb. 24, 2017 at Sport Lake in Soldotna, Alaska. Hundreds of students from multiple Kenai Peninsula School District schools take part in the Alaska Department of Fish and Game's "Salmon in the Classroom" program each year, which includes three ice fishing outings in the winter. (Megan Pacer/Peninsula Clarion)

From eggs to eating: Students get schooled on salmon life cycle

It’s that time of year again when the resident fish of Sport Lake and Johnshon Lake get some visitors: hundreds of children intent on catching them.

Each year, students from the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District gather for ice fishing excursions on the two lakes over the course of three days. Jenny Gates, a fisheries biologist with the Soldotna office of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, organizes the trips and said this year’s ice fishing excursions saw participation from 18 schools. The trips typically see 720-750 students each year, she said.

“This is just a fun winter activity,” Gates said. “Kids can get outside and learn something new.”

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

The trips are part of the Salmon in the Classroom program put on through Fish and Game. Some teachers who have their students participate have been using the curriculum for years, Gates said.

Students from four Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Sciences classes shuffled out onto the ice of Sport Lake Friday afternoon after a quick lesson on fishing and safety, armed with rods, warm clothes and just a bit of shrimp as bait. They quickly started trying out different techniques for reeling in the sought after fish, and could be seen checking in with their friends and trading tips.

Ryder Lageson and Josiah Holloway, two third graders from Kaleidoscope, used teamwork while patiently waiting for fish to come past their respective lines on Friday. Lageson used his headlight to peer down into the hole where Holloway fished, scoping out the situation and trying to determine if his friend still had bait on the end of his line.

Holloway has been fishing three times before, while Lageson said he’s been doing it since he was a toddler. Though their experience differs, they both agreed on one thing: the hardest part about fishing is the waiting.

They also agreed that actually catching a fish is the best part of the overall experience. The boys are also a fan of cooking them up and eating them with their families.

“My pop and grandma go fishing a lot, and they have fish for almost every dinner,” Holloway said.

Katy McKinley, who teaches fifth graders at Sterling Elementary, oversaw a group of students from that school while they fished earlier Friday morning. This was her third year bringing students to the ice fishing field trip. McKinley said she takes her students on numerous outdoor activities, and the ice fishing is a good way for them to work on something in the community that they can later celebrate back in the classroom.

“Probably the biggest thing is, this is about the kids,” McKinley said. “This is about getting them out in the community. That is my whole philosophy.”

More than that, the trips tie in with the overarching Salmon in the Classroom program. Students who participate in the curriculum start out with raising coho salmon eggs in the fall, learn more about fish with dissection lessons, and practice catching fish during the ice fishing field trips before coming together in the spring for a celebration during which mature fry are released.

“Last week we did salmon dissection, which they absolutely loved,” McKinley said. “Some of them threw up.”

Gates said the students who do end up catching fish during the field trips get to keep them and take them home to their families. The program does include a section on catch and release, and Gates said there are some kids who opts to return their catches to the lakes.

Once springtime roles around, students will gather again to release the fish they spent the year raising. While the ice fishing trips are for the classes that participate in the program, the salmon celebration in the spring is open to all students, Gates said.

“Hopefully, I think the kids are making a connection between (this and) their coho salmon that they’re raising,” Gates said. “Here they are fishing for land-locked salmon, in this case it’s Chinook salmon, and also rainbow trout.”

In addition to members of Fish and Game, volunteers for agencies including the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, the Kenai Watershed Forum and the U.S. Forest Service came out to help kids in the quest for fish this year.

Reach Megan Pacer at megan.pacer@peninsulaclarion.com.

Fishing rods stand poised to be used by students from Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Sciences during one of three ice fishing outings put on by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game on Friday, Feb. 24, 2017 at Sport Lake in Soldotna, Alaska. The ice fishing outings are part of the Department of Fish and Gameճ "Salmon in the Classroom" program that several classes throughout the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District take part in each year. (Megan Pacer/Peninsula Clarion)

Fishing rods stand poised to be used by students from Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Sciences during one of three ice fishing outings put on by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game on Friday, Feb. 24, 2017 at Sport Lake in Soldotna, Alaska. The ice fishing outings are part of the Department of Fish and Gameճ “Salmon in the Classroom” program that several classes throughout the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District take part in each year. (Megan Pacer/Peninsula Clarion)

Fishing poles rest on a table while volunteers wait for the next group of students from Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Sciences on Friday, Feb. 24, 2017 at Sport Lake in Soldotna, Alaska, during one of three ice fishing outings put on by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game each winter. The ice fishing outings are part of the Department of Fish and Gameճ "Salmon in the Classroom" program that classes in several schools throughout the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District take part in each year. (Megan Pacer/Peninsula Clarion)

Fishing poles rest on a table while volunteers wait for the next group of students from Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Sciences on Friday, Feb. 24, 2017 at Sport Lake in Soldotna, Alaska, during one of three ice fishing outings put on by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game each winter. The ice fishing outings are part of the Department of Fish and Gameճ “Salmon in the Classroom” program that classes in several schools throughout the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District take part in each year. (Megan Pacer/Peninsula Clarion)

Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Sciences fourth grader Mya Taylor, 9, monitors her fishing line while trying to catch a fish during an outing Friday, Feb. 24, 2017 at Sport Lake in Soldotna, Alaska. The outing, along with two others in February, are part of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game "Salmon in the Classroom" program that hundreds of Kenai Peninsula School District students participate in each year. (Megan Pacer/Peninsula Clarion)

Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Sciences fourth grader Mya Taylor, 9, monitors her fishing line while trying to catch a fish during an outing Friday, Feb. 24, 2017 at Sport Lake in Soldotna, Alaska. The outing, along with two others in February, are part of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game “Salmon in the Classroom” program that hundreds of Kenai Peninsula School District students participate in each year. (Megan Pacer/Peninsula Clarion)

Environmental scientist Jeff Sires with the Kenai Watershed Forum lends a hand to 9-year-old Carson Grimm, a fourth grader at Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Sciences, during an ice fishing outing Friday, Feb. 24, 2017 on Sport Lake in Soldotna, Alaska. Sires was one of several volunteers helping with Friday's outing, which is one of three put on each year by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game as part of its "Salmon in the Classroom" program that several schools throughout the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District participate in. (Megan Pacer/Peninsula Clarion)

Environmental scientist Jeff Sires with the Kenai Watershed Forum lends a hand to 9-year-old Carson Grimm, a fourth grader at Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Sciences, during an ice fishing outing Friday, Feb. 24, 2017 on Sport Lake in Soldotna, Alaska. Sires was one of several volunteers helping with Friday’s outing, which is one of three put on each year by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game as part of its “Salmon in the Classroom” program that several schools throughout the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District participate in. (Megan Pacer/Peninsula Clarion)

More in News

Amber Gall (left) and Rachael Kincaid (right) are South Peninsula Hospital's new Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Operating Officer, respectively. Photo provided by Derotha Ferraro
South Peninsula Hospital names new leadership

South Peninsula Hospital’s former chief nursing officer has been named the new chief operating officer.

A sign directs the public toward a tsunami shelter in Seldovia, Alaska, on Sept. 27, 2021. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion file)
Tsunami watch canceled for Resurrection Bay, Kachemak Bay communities

The watch followed an 8.7 earthquake that occurred Tuesday afternoon off the coast of Kamchatka, Russia.

A “Vote Here” sign directs voters to the voting station at Homer City Hall on Oct. 3, 2023, in Homer, Alaska. (Finn Heimbold/Homer News file photo)
Homer city election filing period opens Aug. 1

The deadline to file for candidacy is Aug. 15 at 4:30 p.m.

Salutatorian Grace Kahn speaks during the Kenai Central High School graduation ceremony in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai Peninsula represented by 3 in 2025 Summer of Heroes

The program spotlights Alaska youth driving change in their communities.

Rep. Andi Story (D-Juneau), Rep. Rebecca Himschoot (I-Sitka), and Rep. Sarah Vance (R-Homer) watch the vote tally during a veto override joint session on an education bill Tuesday, May 20. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
Dunleavy outlines priorities for special session

The Senate and House majority say the Legislature plans to consider two veto overrides.

Mount Marathon, seen July 4, 2022, in Seward, Alaska. (Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Swiss hiker rescued near Mount Marathon in Seward

The hiker said he’d climbed a mountain and gone beyond his ability

tease
‘All the kids are grand champions’

Kenai Peninsula 4-H shows off at Agriculture Expo

Soldotna City Council member Jordan Chilson and Soldotna Mayor Paul Whitney grill hot dogs at the Progress Days Block Party at Parker Park in Soldotna, Alaska, on Saturday, July 26, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Progress Days block party keeps celebration going

Vendors, food trucks, carnival games and contests entertained hundreds

Children take candy from a resident of Heritage Place during the 68th Annual Soldotna Progress Days Parade in Soldotna, Alaska, on Saturday, July 26, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
‘It feels so hometown’

68th Annual Soldotna Progress Days parade brings festivity to city streets

Most Read

You're browsing in private mode.
Please sign in or subscribe to continue reading articles in this mode.

Peninsula Clarion relies on subscription revenue to provide local content for our readers.

Subscribe

Already a subscriber? Please sign in