Mine Kill to Host Fathers Day Fishing Tournament

Join the Friends of Mine Kill and Max V. Shaul State Park on Saturday, June 14, 2014 during the Father’s Day Weekend Fishing Tournament, from 7am - 12pm.  Celebrate Father’s Day and beat the heat along the beautiful Blenheim-Gilboa Reservoir.  Entry per individual is $10, while a family of 4 or more may enter for $30.  Registration will be at the boat launch area in Mine Kill State Park or you can call Mine Kill State Park at (518) 827-8690 to pre-register.  

The fishing tournament will take place on the Blenheim-Gilboa Lower Reservoir for a chance to win 50% of the entry fees.  The remaining funds will support educational programming and recreational activities at the park through the Friends of Mine Kill and Max V. Shaul group.  The individual with the longest recorded fish (any species) will be awarded the winnings following the end of the tournament at 12pm sharp.  Anglers may fish from the shore of the reservoir or may use a boat.  Please note that the New York Power Authority no longer requires a seasonal permit to launch a vessel on the Blenheim-Gilboa Reservoir.  However, all boaters must check in at the Mine Kill State Park office and then power-wash the boat prior to entering the water. 

Mine Kill State Park has many more fishing opportunities for you.  If you can’t make it out to the Father’s Day Weekend Fishing Tournament then please join us during the Late Summer Fishing Tournament on Saturday, August 16th.  The Mine Kill Summer Fishing Tournaments continue to grow thanks to everyone who has participated in past events and spread the word.  Please note, if you are 16 years or older you must have a valid fishing license.  In order to use a boat (both motor and non-motorized) on the reservoir, please stop at the Mine Kill park office and fill out the appropriate information.  All boats are required to be power-washed at the power-wash station adjacent the park contact office.  However, boats are not needed though since there is plenty of shoreline access for all your fishing fun.     

Mine Kill State Park is located in the scenic Schoharie Valley overlooking the Power Authority’s Blenheim-Gilboa Pumped Storage Power Project.  The reservoir provides excellent fishing and boating opportunities.  The eight miles of trails, including trails from the Park to the NYPA Visitor Center such as the Long Path, are great for hiking, biking and birding.  Cascading 80 feet through a narrow gorge is the picturesque Mine Kill Falls for which the Park is named.  The Park also has an Olympic sized swimming pool with separate wading and diving pools.

For those who would like to extend their visit, nearby Max V. Shaul State Park is a small, quiet camping area with 30 wooded tent and trailer sites, picnic grounds, a state of the art playground and boat access along the Schoharie Creek.  In addition to the Max V. Shaul trails and fishing opportunities, campers have free access to Mine Kill State Park. 

New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees 180 state parks and 35 historic sites, which are visited by 60 million people annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.nysparks.com, connect on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.