It is time…the 2025 Fall Mack Days Fishing Event on Flathead Lake is set to begin Thursday September 4th and will end Sunday November 2nd. Nine weeks of lake trout fishing for anglers of all ages and skills will be casting their lines in the hope of catching lake trout at the end of their lines. Come out and join all of the anglers in this lake trout fishing event sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Lake trout entries are taken Monday-Sunday. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes have a special Flathead Lake (south half) Fishing License available for anglers from in or out of state. They will also have the Blue Bay Campground available for anglers who are fishing the event. Fees for camping will be posted on the website.
There are prize categories for everyone-Youth 12 & under, Youth 13-17, Ladies, Over 70, Smallest lake trout, Largest Lake tout over 36”, Weekend Prizes, Lottery Prizes ($2,000-$500)-30 drawings, Tagged fish with values from $100-$10,000, and Bonus dollars paid depending on the total of each angler. Examples (11-30 lake trout entries will pay $45 to the angler, 31-50 $88, 276-300 $870, 476-500 $1,850, 1151-1175 $5,957) categories change with every 25 lake trout entries. Prizes, awards, entry page, bonus chart, rules, pickup schedules, etc. are all on the website at www.mackdays.com under the events tab. Remember all it takes is one fish to catch a tagged fish or be entered in the drawings.
There will be a $10,000 tagged lake trout, 3-$5,000, 5-$1,000 and over 9,000 with values from $100-$500. Fisheries staff began tagging lake trout in 2007. The tags remain readable and are associated with $100-$500 values. High dollar tagged fish are tagged a week or two before the event begins. The previous high dollar tags are revalued to $100-$500. Tagged lake trout have a clipped adipose fin and are scanned by staff as they are entered. Over the years some anglers have reported fishing in one spot all day and releasing fish after clipping the same fin so not all clipped adipose fish will have a tag. Fisheries staff does double tag some lake trout for retention purposes to determine if tags may be lost-a very, very, small percentage of the double tagged fish have ever shown a lost tag.
The more serious passionate anglers will be hoping to have totals that will put them in a top spot in the Top Twenty Angler Category, Ladies, Youth, or 70 & Over. As their total goes up they qualify for Top Angler Awards from $950-$200. Many of these anglers compete every day of the weekend Friday to Sunday competition. Once they reach 18 days they are ranked by their 18-day average at the end-totals continue to go up all 27 days of the weekend competition. Ladies, 70 & Over, and Youth anglers do have separate categories but some may compete in the Top Twenty. An angler can win in only one category so the winners choose which category they will win. These hard-working anglers make the events the success story that they are. They spend many, many hours on the lake in all kinds of weather. Record entries for a Fall Event was 19,540 in 2015. Jerry Benson of Plains was Top Angler in 2024 with 1,301 entries. David Myers of Riverton Wy won the Fall Event in 2023 with 2,780 lake trout entries fishing every day of the event, nine-time Fall Event winner Mike Benson of Lonepine and three-time winner Terry Krogstad of Kalispell will all be trying to reach the top spot on the leader board as the event progresses. Other names to watch are Larry Ashwell of Missoula, Jack Kirkland of Lolo, Larry Karper of Florence, Bob Stewart of Kalispell –any angler who finds their special spot and a technique that is working can come out on top or in the Top Twenty. Best of luck to them all! These anglers are competitive but they are all great people and many friendships have been made and stories shared during the events and they always have each other’s backs if needed
Mack Days Fishing Events are used as a fisheries management tool to reduce non-native lake trout in Flathead Lake and increase the native bull trout and westslope trout. Preserving the native fish is important to the history of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and to Montana. The native fish of the lake were the dominant fish of the lake for thousands of years before the non-native lake trout were introduced and the lake trout population exploded. Anglers asked for the opportunity to be part of the management of the fishery of Flathead Lake during the management planning meetings that were held. Using the events as a management tool gives anglers the opportunity to help make this a success story and see the native fish numbers increase for future generations. Participation by anglers is very important to the success of the events and the continuation of them. The goal is not to completely eliminate the lake trout population, but to find a better balance between a recreational fishery based largely on lake trout and healthier native trout-bull trout and westslope cutthroat populations.
Anglers who fish the fall events may use a different method than spring anglers. Trolling is more popular in the fall. Jigging is also something many will do. Shore anglers have better luck in fall than spring since the lake trout move into shallower water for spawning. You have to work at it and find out what methods are best for you. We have suggestions/fishing tips on the website and we ask anglers to read the rules page and follow suggestions.
We remind anglers to be sure and know how to ID the native fish and to always be safe out on the water-go to the website for information or contact Montana FWP or CSKT Tribal offices. Enter on the website at www.mackdays.com.
Good luck & Tight lines everyone!
—CSKT—
Photo: Ryker Bair of Helena and Justin Bair of Dillon with the winning 2024 Fall Largest Lake Trout-20.05lbs and 36.25 inches
