01/28/2026
Umpqua Fisheries Enhancement Derby Kids Day Event January 29th, 2026, Cooper Creek Reservoir
This year’s event marks the 34th anniversary and it’s promising to be another terrific day on the water with Eastwood Elementary 5th graders enjoying a day of water safety, fishing and boating. Eastwood School participates each year by raising steelhead in their local facility on Deer Creek in an exclusive enhancement program. Because of their work and efforts, the Derby gives back to these kids for a day on the water.
It begins with students being bused to Cooper Creek Reservoir and they are greeted by our OSP officers to give them quick tips on water safety and rules of the day. The kids exit the buses and are fitted with life jackets and then directed to the boat ramp docks where ODFW disperses several legal size and trophy sized trout. The kids get to watch and witness as several thousand trout are released into the water. Next the kids pair up and join a professional guide in a drift boat as they attempt to catch the big one and learn from the guide how to catch a fish! This lasts about 45 minutes.
After fishing the kids are grouped up in sets of 4 and are staged to go onto a ride of their life in one of the North River Jet Boats. The Jet Boat operators give the kids a ride up and down the reservoir and this event last’s for about an hour.
After boating concludes the kids are sent over to the Food Booth and served Hot Dogs and hot cocoa! The kids are fired up and talking fish.
At the conclusion of lunch all the kids are lined up to receive back packs, filled with water bottles, lanyards, towels, stickers, bracelets,
whistles, fishing poles and educational material from all the Kids Day Sponsors. Before entering buses, the kids are lined up in front of the buses for a final photograph and a thank you to the event sponsors and volunteers.
Highlights of the day:
Watching the kids enjoy a safe day on the water fishing and boating. Some kids have never experienced anything like this and it’s fun to see the excitement generated on their faces.
-Lots of fishing
-Lots of boating
-Lots of food
-Lots of smiles and laughter
With our local businesses, volunteers and fish hatcheries that help this event continues to be a great success and a joy to offer to our youth and all people in general.