The 37th Annual OFAH Under the Lock Fishing Derby had another unbelievable turnout this spring with a total of 2,889 anglers registered, including 1,830 youth, 730 adults, 260 elementary students, and 232 high school students.
Held below Peterborough Lift Lock 21, the derby strives to provide a fun, family-friendly event that emphasizes conservation and community values.
More than 30 derby volunteers lent a hand to build the stage, install a net, stock 3,400 trout, offer fishing assistance, and hand out prizes. The opening day youth derby saw 1,500 kids cast their rods at 9 a.m. sharp to catch one of five grand prizes or 500 tagged fish for instant prizes including bicycles, tackle bags, lures, nets, rods, and camping gear.
The following eight days had adults and youth chasing 40 tagged fish each worth a $200 cash prize sponsored by local businesses. A total of 35 of 45 tagged prize fish were caught — including “Walter,” the ‘big fish’ grand prize that netted Jonny Patter- son of Cannington $1,000 in cash.
For the second year, this event added a day exclusively for high school students to try their hand at trout fishing. Some 232 students and 27 teachers from 10 schools travelled up to three hours to cast their rods to catch a rainbow or brook trout and ended up claiming 94 of the 250 instant prizes.
Beyond the great prizes and lunch provided, the students and teachers most appreciated the opportunity to get outside of the classroom and gain hand-on experiential learning that has a lasting impact.
OFAH Education Programs Supervisor David Ryrie was on stage interviewing students as they brought their fish up to claim prizes.
“Seeing hundreds of students laughing, fishing, and learning without a cell phone in sight makes all the hard work behind the scenes putting this event together worth it,” Ryrie said. “I can’t wait to see even more students participating next year.”
The list of winners and the sponsors that make this event happen can be found at:
www.ofah.org/underthelock
Planning for 2027 has already begun to further grow the event into a “must-do” for anglers across Central Ontario.
Originally published in the Summer Bassin' 2026 issue of Ontario Out of Doors
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