Upwards of 300 local children cast a line into Sequim’s waters last Saturday.

Jan Silvertsen, president of the North Olympic Peninsula chapter of Puget Sound Anglers, said 120-150 fish were caught for the 12th Annual Kids Fishing Day on May 17.

The free event welcomed children 14 and under to the Water Reuse Demonstration Pond north of Carrie Blake Park. The Anglers, the Department of Fish and Wildlife and Sequim Public Works Department sponsored the event with more than 40 volunteers helping with festivities.

“I talked to lots of kids and they were having a ball,” Silvertsen said.

The pond was stocked with more than 1,300 trout from Hurd Creek Hatchery, but a day later Anglers discovered hundreds of dead fish in the pond.

Mike Brandt, operations manager for the City of Sequim, said it was a perfect storm unfortunately for the fish.

“The water was perfect for two days but then jumped up from 61 to 71 degrees,” he said. “Fish don’t like that kind of heat when they are used to 48. We acclimated them as always. Also there’s a non-toxic algae bloom which raises oxygen content and isn’t good for (the fish).”

Brandt said the pond is better now and they’ll flush the pond once there’s a use for the water.

An estimated 1,000 more fish are expected to be placed in the pond for the summer but are on hold until circumstances improve, he said.

“If we can get the temperature down and it’s flushed enough that should give (families) them fish for the summer,” Silvertsen said.

For more on the event, visit http://www.psanopc.org/.