Fishing Trip Coloring Page

Nothing beats a slow morning on the lake. This fishing trip coloring page shows a child and a bearded grandpa sitting side by side on a wooden dock, each with a rod and a bucket hat. Their happy dog sits at the end of the dock, and a fish tail pokes out of the pail between them. Mountains and pine trees fill the far shore. Below the waterline, the picture opens up so you can watch fish swim right past the hooks.

Parents searching for coloring pages of fishing will like how much story is packed in here. Ages 6 to 11 can finish it in about 30 minutes.

Two scenes on one sheet

The drawing is split by the waterline. Up top is the quiet world of the people, with the sky, the lake and the mountains. Below is the busy world of the fish, with weeds, pebbles and dock posts going down to the bottom. Red and white floats sit right on the line between them.

That split gives kids an easy plan. Color the top half in light, sunny shades, then use deeper tones under the water. The two parts will look different without any extra effort.

Fishing trip coloring page color ideas

Start with the people, since kids usually care most about them. Let your child match the skin, hair and clothes to someone they love. The grandpa has a checked shirt, so try two greens or a red and a cream.

Here are ideas for the rest of the scene:

• Lilac mountains with white snow caps
• Pale gold planks on dark brown posts
• A tan dog with a red bandana

Use your palest blue for the lake behind the dock, and a stronger blue green for the water under the waterline. Then the fish can be as bright as your child likes. Orange, yellow and teal all show up well.

Tips for a tidy picture

Rods and fishing lines are thin, so leave them alone until the sky and lake are done. Color near them with care, then trace the rods in brown at the end.

The checked shirt looks hard, but there is a trick. Color the whole shirt pale first. Next, go back and darken every other square in one row, and shift by one square in the next row.

Pine trees are small here. Press a green pencil lightly and let some white show through, as if the sun is hitting them. On the pebbles, switch between gray, tan and white so they do not blur into one shape.

How to treat a fish kindly

If this page is getting your child excited for a real trip, it is a good time to teach catch and release. NOAA Fisheries says to touch a fish as little as possible and only with wet hands. Support its whole body, and never hang it by the lip or mouth. Stay clear of the eyes and gills. The goal is to have the fish out of the water for under a minute. Then let it swim away on its own.

Stories and games

Ask your child who these two people are and what they are chatting about. Did the dog scare off the fish? Who caught the one in the pail? A short story told aloud makes the finished page feel like a real memory.

You can also make a paper fishing game. Cut out fish shapes, slide a paper clip onto each, and tie a small magnet to a string on a stick. Write a math problem on every fish. Kids catch one, solve it and keep it if they get it right. This works at home or in a classroom.

Next stops

Head out to sea with the fishing boat coloring page. For more summer outdoors, try the camping tent coloring page.

Questions