AUGUSTA (AP) – The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is encouraging residents to take to the states’ rivers and lakes for a weekend of free fishing.

Commissioner Dan Martin says Family Fishing Days gives adults a chance to go fishing with their children at no cost.

The state hopes the free-fishing days on Saturday and Sunday will encourage people to buy fishing licenses and spend more time on Maine’s waterways throughout the year. Fishing is a popular pastime in Maine, which has nearly 6,000 lakes and ponds and almost 32,000 miles of rivers and streams.