Father and child walking side by side, fishing poles in hand – this isn’t a Norman Rockwell image or a scene from a favorite 1960s TV show. This Andy and Opie moment is a snapshot of life today in the northwest Houston community of Bridgeland.

Basking on the banks of more than 100 acres of lakes and meandering waterways, new residents of The Shores, Bridgeland’s first neighborhood, are not only enjoying tranquil water views but also spending leisure time fishing.

Recently, more than 238,000 specially selected fish were introduced to populate neighborhood lakes and offer residents the opportunity to “reel in the big one” on a catch and release basis.

Monty Bagwell, Bridgeland land manager, said the fish are sizeable and will be considered good catches in 12-18 months. The Bridgeland community will feature several fishing piers and currently offers miles of gently sloping open banks for easy casting with fly rods. Future activities will include residential fishing tournaments, seminars with fishing experts and “learn to fish” classes for children and adults, scheduled through a full-time activities director.

“We love having a stocked lake so close,” said Gary Nelson, one of Bridgeland’s first residents. “My daughter caught her first fish on her first cast in our very own neighborhood. I thought she was teasing me, but then I saw the bobber sink and we pulled in a fish! It was pretty exciting.”

Nelson, his daughter Madison, 8, and son Zachary, 5, plan to try their luck again soon.

When the Lakeland Activity Center opens this summer, residents will be able to enjoy canoeing and kayaking on Lake Bridgeland and Cypress Lake or paddle boating on Lake Bridgeland.

Bridgeland’s master plan incorporates conservation and recreation elements, creating a design that respects the intrinsic value of the natural environment.

“In designing Bridgeland, we envisioned a community where residents can interact with the beauty of their natural surroundings,” said Peter Houghton, vice president, residential land sales. “More than 3,000 acres throughout the property will be conserved, enhanced and developed into parks, open green space and waterways to provide an extensive playground for a variety of passive and active outdoor activities.”

Encompassing 10,000 acres, the Bridgeland community will include more than 21,000 homes and 65,000 residents. Bridgeland will also include an expansive town center located along the future path of the Grand Parkway. An extensive system of lakes and trails will connect residential villages with recreational, educational, cultural, employment, retail, religious and other amenities that will eventually be located throughout the community.

The Bridgeland community is a development of General Growth Properties, Inc., the second largest U.S.-based publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) in the country. As owner of Bridgeland and the majority owner of The Woodlands, General Growth is also one of the largest master-planned community developers in Houston.

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