3 Fishing Derbies Planned At Hidden Lakes This Summer

BOLINGBROOK, IL — Three fishing derbies are planned this year at Hidden Lakes in Bolingbrook, with help from The Nature Foundation of Will County, supported by funding from Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's Outdoor Fund.

The derbies are set for

• May 17, adult fishing derby
• June 28, kids fishing derby
• Sept. 20, summer send-off fishing derby

Funds from the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's Outdoor Fund will be used to stock the ponds with several hundred pounds of fish before each event, according to a release from The Nature Foundation.

“Hidden Lakes is unique in that we stock from a private source for the derbies,” said Angie Trobaugh, facility supervisor at Hidden Oaks Nature Center. “It wouldn't be recommended to have the derbies without stocking because that would just simply be too much pressure on the tiny little ponds.”

Since 2022, The Nature Foundation has received nearly $15,000 from the Outdoor Fund to support these events, a release states.

“They provide the opportunity for all of this to happen,” Trobaugh said. “Without them, we would have to find additional resources to ensure the stocking for the derbies.”

The Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's Outdoor Fund supports conservation and outdoor access initiatives through customer donations made by rounding up purchases at the register.

“It's people making an investment in their community,” Tara Neff, executive director of The Nature Foundation, said in a release. “It's a way to help make the community better and support what they care about, which is outdoor recreation and spending time outside. That's exactly what The Nature Foundation and the Forest Preserve try to do.”

Each derby offers hundreds of dollars in prizes for the biggest catch, with awards for first, second and third place.