Anglers Lodge & Casting Pools

What you need to know

What’s There

The Golden Gate Angling and Casting Club operates three concrete casting pools and a stone lodge in the western half of Golden Gate Park. The club was organized in 1933 as an offshoot of the San Francisco Fly Casting Club (formed 1894) and originally cast at Stow Lake. The current lodge and pools were built by the Works Progress Administration in 1938 and 1939. The club has more than 1,000 members.

The club offers free casting lessons on Saturday mornings, no experience or equipment needed. Members hand you a rod, explain the basics, and let you cast on the pools. On weekends you can also watch members practicing distance casting and fly presentation without taking a lesson.

Visiting

Address: 1240 John F. Kennedy Drive, Golden Gate Park

Cost: Free to visit. Free lessons on Saturdays.

Hours: Pools accessible during park hours (6 AM to 10 PM). Free lessons typically Saturday mornings. Check the GGACC website for the current schedule.

Best time to go: Saturday mornings for free lessons. Weekday afternoons to watch members practice without crowds.

What to know: No reservations needed for lessons. Wear comfortable shoes, the area is on grass and gravel paths.

Getting There

Transit: Muni 5-Fulton or 5R to 36th Ave and Fulton, then a 10-minute walk south into the park. The N-Judah stops at 9th Ave and Irving, bikeable from there.

Parking: Free along JFK Drive and the nearby park roads.

Walking: About 5 minutes west of the bison paddock. Combine with a visit to Spreckels Lake or the Dutch Windmill.