Fishing for Families

The tournament starts at 8:00am on Saturday, June 1st. Photo submissions will be accepted starting at 8:15am that morning. The tournament ends at 8:00pm on Sunday, June 9th. Photo submissions will be accepted until 11:59pm that evening.

You can find all the details about this in the rules above, but basically, you use a tournament provided measuring device to measure your fish, take a photo of the fish and measurements, and release the fish back into the lake alive and in good health. After that, you make sure to submit any photos you have by 11:59pm on June 9th. Participants submit their 5 largest fish (by length). There are some special rules regarding species of fish you can submit, so make sure to read the rule book!

You may have to drive a little bit depending on where you live, but YES! there should be a lake near you. After consulting with the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks to create this FIRST-EVER statewide fishing tournament in Montana, we agreed to select bodies of water from each fishing region in Montana. The list of lakes, fish species allowed, and access points are in the rules above, but also listed here in this FAQ. While we were limited accessing the bodies of water from state fishing access sites or state parks, we did our best to include a body-of-water in each region that is home to every fish species included in the tournament.

1. Region 1
   1. Middle Thompson Lake via Logan State Park
      1. Upper and Lower Thompson Lakes are considered separate waterbodies and are not included in this tournament.
      2. Fish allowed- Yellow Perch, Kokanee Salmon, Rainbow Trout
      3. Largemouth bass are not allowed per MT FWP permit requirements.
   2. Lake Mary Ronan via Lake Mary Ronan State Park
      1. Fish allowed- Rainbow Trout, Kokanee Salmon
      2. Yellow perch are not allowed per MT FWP permit requirements.
2. Region 2
   1. Salmon Lake via Salmon Lake State Park
      1. Fish allowed- Yellow Perch, Rainbow Trout, Kokanee Salmon, Largemouth Bass
      2. Participants are encouraged to use only artificial lures.
   2. Upsata Lake via Upsata Lake Fishing Access Site
      1. Fish allowed- Yellow Perch, Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass
      2. Participants are encouraged to use only artificial lures.
3. Region 3
   1. Dailey Lake via Dailey Lake Fishing Access Site
      1. Fish allowed- Walleye, Yellow Perch, Rainbow Trout
   2. Willow Creek Reservoir via Harrison Lake Fishing Access Site
      1. Fish allowed- Rainbow Trout
   3. Three Forks Ponds via Three Forks Ponds Fishing Access Site
      1. Fish allowed- Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass
4. Region 4
   1. Hauser Reservoir via York Bridge Fishing Access Site, Causeway Fishing Access Site, and Black Sandy State Park
      1. Lake Helena is considered a separate waterbody and is not included in this tournament.
      2. Fish allowed- Walleye, Yellow Perch
      3. Rainbow trout are not allowed per MT FWP permit requirements.
   2. Pishkun Reservoir via Pishkun Reservoir Fishing Access Site
      1. Split Rock Lake is considered a separate waterbody and is not included in this tournament.
      2. Fish allowed- Yellow Perch, Rainbow Trout, Kokanee Salmon
   3. Big Casino Creek Reservoir via Big Casino Creek Reservoir Fishing Access Site
      1. Fish allowed- Yellow Perch, Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass
5. Region 5
   1. Cooney Reservoir via Cooney Reservoir State Park
      1. Fish allowed- Walleye, Yellow Perch, Rainbow Trout
   2. Deadman’s Basin via Deadman’s Basin Fishing Access Site
      1. Fish allowed- Yellow Perch, Rainbow Trout, Kokanee Salmon
   3. Lake Elmo via Lake Elmo State Park
      1. Fish allowed- Yellow Perch, Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass
6. Region 6
   1. Bailey Reservoir via Bailey Reservoir Fishing Access Site
      1. Fish allowed- Yellow Perch, Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass
      2. Walleye are not allowed per MT FWP permit requirements.
   2. Cole Ponds via Cole Ponds Fishing Access Site
      1. Fish allowed- Yellow Perch, Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass
7. Region 7
   1. Gartside Reservoir via Gartside Reservoir Fishing Access Site
      1. Fish allowed- Yellow Perch, Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass
   2. South Sandstone Reservoir via South Sandstone Reservoir Fishing Access Site
      1. Fish allowed- Yellow Perch, Largemouth Bass
      2. Walleye are not allowed per MT FWP permit requirements.

After consulting with Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, we selected 5 species to include in this competition. Walleye, Yellow Perch, Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, and Kokanee Salmon.

All funds raised from entry fees directly support the daily execution of CSSM’s ministerial work. Here are the registration fees: Adults- $40. Youth (17 years old or younger)- $20. Knights of Columbus Challenge team- $120. Big Fish Pot (optional)- $10 per person. Small Fish Pot (optional)- $10 per person.

Yes! Prizes will be awarded to the top finishers in the competition, participants who “beat the staff,” and to the winners of the Big Fish Pot and Small Fish Pot. We are gathering new prizes all the time, so make sure to check the list at the button above!