Only one week left in the 2025 Fall Mack Days Fishing Event which ends on Sunday November 2nd. The events are sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and sanctioned by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. The Mack Days Events began in Fall 2002 with 888 entries turned in over 15 days with 80 anglers entered in the event. The 2025 event so far has a total of 16,839 lake trout entries with three hundred forty anglers entered and it will end on day sixty of the ninth weekend. Monday-Thursday fishing total was at 4,698 and Friday-Sunday total was 12,141. Fridays total came to 753, Saturday 494, and a very windy Sunday 70. The 2024 Fall Event total at this time was 16,411, we would like to thank all of our Anglers for continuing to make this event a success!
You still have time to enter the fishing event, catch non-native lake trout & get entered into the lottery drawings that begin at $2,000 and go down to $100. The $10,000 tagged lake trout “Double D” Downrigger Dale is still eluding the anglers. There are also 3-$5,000, 5-$1,000 and over 9,000 with values from $100-$500. Tagged lake trout with $100 values were brought in by Mike Benson-Lonepine, Ryker Bair-Helena, and Lucas Pickens of Fort Harrison.
The native bull trout and westslope cutthroat populations in Flathead Lake have dramatically declined over the years. These Mack Days events are used as a management tool to reduce the non-native lake trout in the lake. Native trout in Flathead Lake are among the most widely endangered fish species in the Flathead Basin. Native trout and are highly valued as symbols of environmental quality and natural integrity in areas all over the region. Their declining populations gave us warning that something was not working in the system. We needed to respond before we lost all the native fish species, their genetics and natural instincts that they have developed over the thousands of years that they have lived in this system. Working hard to increase their numbers will ensure these fish are here in the future. Mack Days anglers are a big part of making a difference in the Flathead system!
Expert angler Terry Krogstad of Kalispell has moved into the first place in the Top Twenty Category with 1,062 entries and has an 18-day average of 53.61. Top Twenty are placed by their 18-day average at the end of the event. David Myers of Riverton WY is in 2nd place with 986 and 51.56 avg, 3rd Larry Ashwell of Missoula-894-46.78, 4th Julie Perkins of Kalispell-896-45.39, 5th Jack Kirkland of Lolo 696-38.06, 6th Devon Bukowski of Kalispell 696-36.22, 7th Patrick Casey of Townsend 644-35.11, 8th Richard Kreis of Huson 562-29.17, 9th Mike Benson of Lonepine 464-25.78, 10th Lyndon Lee of Canada with 457-24.44. Bob Stewart of Kalispell is 11th with 421, Janey Myers of Riverton is 12th with 346, 13th Laurie Kreis of Huson with 357, 14th Larry Karper of Florence with 298, 15th Jerry Benson of Plains with 295, 16th Angie Morrow of Kalispell with 228, 17th Dan Deutschman of Fergus Falls MN with 200, 18th Ryker Bair of Helena with 166, 19th Steve Mack of Helena with 163, and 20th Felix Gauci of Stevensville with 152.
If an angler is in the Top Twenty and is a leader in another category such as the Ladies, 70 & Over, etc. they have to choose which category they want to win in.
Julie Perkins of Kalispell one of the veteran lady anglers is leading the Ladies with 896, 2nd Laurie Kreis of Huson with 357, 3rd Janet Myers of Riverton with 346, 4th Angie Morrow of Kalispell with 228, and 5th Shaunda Albert of Ronan with 66.
Olivia Cottet of Polson is the leader in the 13-17 Category with 12 and Carter Lindsay of Pablo is leading in the 12 & Under with 9. Terry Krogstad is 1st in the 70 & Over (Golden Oldies) with 1,062, Larry Ashwell is 2nd with 894, 3rd Jack Kirkland with 696, 4th Mike Benson with 464, and 5th Larry Karper with 298.
The third and last day of the Buckets ended with 85-year old Jens Gran of Polson becoming a three-time winner with a bucket of 4 lake trout that weighed in at 31.8 lbs., 2nd Justin Bair with 22 lbs. and 3rd Richard and Laurie Kreis with 14.65 lbs. Jens won the 1st Bucket Day with a weight of 32.8 over Rick Skates weight of 32 lbs. and his second bucket weight of 29.05 beat Mike Benson’s weight of 28.75. The three buckets Jens entered totaled 93.65 lbs.
Weekend winners were: $200-Richard Kreis and $100 winners were-Laurie Kreis, Alison Putzler of Bozeman-MSU, Julie Perkins, and Lyndon Lee.
The last day of the event is Sunday November 2nd. All lake trout are to be turned in by 3:00 at Blue Bay with an awards ceremony at that time. Lottery prize drawings will be posted. There will be light snacks-no fish fry.
Thank you everyone for making this event a success. Come out and enjoy a last Mack Days fall weekend of fishing. The last day is a separate day with it’s own prizes. Totals do count for the bonus awards totaled at the end of the event.
Tight lines everyone!
—CSKT—
