The smile on my son’s face was as bright as the Central Oregon sun on a warm spring day. His laughter echoed across the water.

Youth fishing ponds are built to introduce children to the sport and perhaps turn them into lifelong anglers who will purchase annual fishing licenses.

Regardless of whether my son becomes a dedicated angler as he grows up, the joy of watching a 5-year-old reel in rainbow trout after rainbow trout was well worth the time and effort spent during an afternoon at the pond.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife maintains five youth and family fishing ponds in Central Oregon, hoping to get the next generation hooked on angling.

“We’ve come up with a 25-year angling enhancement plan, and that’s what it’s about,” said Jen Luke, assistant fish biologist for the ODFW in Bend. “Of course, we want to sell fishing licenses, and we want people to be interested in fishing and hunting. The more opportunity we can provide at a younger age, the better.”

Youth ponds in Central Oregon include Shevlin Pond and Pine Nursery Pond in Bend, Fireman’s Pond in Redmond, Prineville Youth Pond and the Jefferson County Youth Pond in Madras. A free youth fishing event, hosted by ODFW and the Central Oregon Flyfishers, will be held at Pine Nursery Pond, in northeast Bend, on Saturday.

Shevlin Pond, in northwest Bend, is the only one of these ponds that is not filled by irrigation water, according to the ODFW. The cool water of Tumalo Creek feeds Shevlin Pond, which was stocked with several hundred rainbow trout late last month for the annual Kokanee Karnival kids’ fishing clinic.

Most of the rainbows in Shevlin average eight to 10 inches in length, but the pond was stocked with 100 half-pound fish three weeks ago, according to Luke, who says Shevlin Pond is her favorite place to take her 4-year-old daughter fishing.

“It’s a smaller pond, and it’s great for really young kids,” Luke said. “I think that’s the easiest place to catch fish, and it’s the prettiest. Trout do well in there because the water’s so cold. It’s perfect for introducing kids to fishing for the first time.”

Last Thursday afternoon, I picked Mason up from preschool and we headed to Shevlin Pond, armed with his brand-new Disney “Cars” fishing pole and a couple of jars of PowerBait.

We walked to the north end of the water, where small trout congregated in the deepest area of the pond. We casted out PowerBait, and we could see the fish attacking the small green balls of bait in the water. I helped Mason with casting and setting the hook, and he reeled in a trout on nearly every cast, laughing giddily as I showed him the fish and released each of them back into the water.

We decided to set a goal of catching and releasing 20 fish, and we hit that mark in less than two hours. The 20th fish was a rainbow that I would have been happy to catch on the Deschutes, Crooked, Metolius or pretty much any river or lake in Central Oregon. It must have been one of the half-pounders stocked last month. Mason’s eyes grew wide as the healthy trout glistened in the sun before we released it back into the pond.

It was a good way to end the fishing trip. By then, Mason was ready for a change of pace with a short hike along Tumalo Creek.

In the back of my mind, I wondered if he would expect every fishing trip to be this easy. But that is the purpose of youth ponds: To let kids catch fish, and lots of them.

“I like to see kids catch fish,” Luke said. “It gets them excited, but you also have to teach sportsmanship — you’re not always going to catch fish and it’s more about the experience, and I think that’s a good lesson: Tell the kids it’s about fishing, not catching. But the reason we do have these ponds and we’re stocking them regularly is because we do want kids to catch.”

While Shevlin Pond is stocked solely with rainbow trout, the ODFW stocks Bend Pine Nursery Pond, Fireman’s Pond and Prineville Pond with bass, bluegill and black crappie. The Jefferson County Pond is stocked by the Round Butte Hatchery with rainbow trout, as well as with warm-water species.

All of the youth ponds in Central Oregon are restricted to juvenile anglers 17 and younger, except for Bend Pine Nursery Pond, where adults can fish with their own rods alongside their kids. Anglers can keep two trout (minimum length of eight inches) per day at each pond.

In addition to PowerBait, worms and spinners work well at the Central Oregon youth ponds, according to Luke. Adding weight to the line is also crucial to get the bait to the bottom, where most of the fish are typically located. Fly-fishing with nymphs can also be a productive method on the ponds.

Luke says the fishing might be better if anglers arrive a few days after stocking, but that is not crucial.

“Especially a place like Shevlin; the water is so cold there and the trout do so well,” Luke said. “We do have a stocking schedule on our Web page (www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/fishing/trout_stocking_schedules). There’s no guarantee they’re going to get stocked on that date, but that’s the date they plan for. People can kind of keep an eye on the stocking schedule.”

Luke adds that Pine Nursery Pond was scheduled to be stocked in advance of this Saturday’s youth fishing event.

Later that night, after our action-packed outing at Shevlin Pond, I asked Mason what he enjoyed most about fishing.

“Catching big fish,” he responded.

I guess he just might be chasing trophy trout on the high lakes in no time.

Youth fishing event

What: The ODFW and Central Oregon Flyfishers youth angling event will teach ages 17 and younger the basics; loaner rods, reels and tackle will be available; a juvenile angling license is required for teens ages 14 to 17.

Where: Pine Nursery Pond, Bend

When: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday; spin-fishing from 9 a.m. to noon; fly-fishing from noon to 3 p.m.

Cost: Free

Contact: ODFW Bend office, 541-388-6363

Fishing license info

Children 13 and younger do not need a fishing license, while those ages 14 to 17 are required to have a juvenile license ($9). Adults do not need a license ($33) if they are helping a child fish, so long as the adults themselves are not fishing.