About this tournament

Montana Student Anglers events are one-day, low-pressure bass tournaments built to give middle and high school anglers a real tournament experience without big-time entry fees. Echo Lake, a 700-acre flat-water bass lake roughly 20 miles east of Kalispell, is a regular stop on the schedule — it’s small enough that even teams without big boats can compete, and it consistently kicks out solid largemouth and smallmouth catches.

The October event closes the fall student angler season. By mid-October the bass have pulled off the shallow grass flats and are stacked on weed edges, points, and the deeper rock structure on the south end of the lake. Five-fish team limits are the norm, weighed at the public boat launch. Each team needs a registered boat captain (a parent, coach, or volunteer) and fishes under standard Montana youth tournament rules.

At $20 per team the event is one of the most accessible competitive fishing experiences in northwest Montana — a strong feeder for the eventual high school state qualifier and a great first tournament for kids learning to fish a clock and a livewell at the same time.

Schedule

• Saturday Oct 17 — Day-of competition and weigh-in at Echo Lake

Entry & Prizes

Entry: $20 per two-person student team. Each team requires a registered adult boat captain.

What to expect

Mid-October bass on Echo Lake have shifted off the inside grass and are holding on the outside weed edges, isolated wood, and the deeper points near the south end. Senkos, jigs, and small swimbaits all work — and don’t sleep on a drop-shot rig in 12-18 feet for the late-fall smallmouth bite. Student teams should plan a tight rotation: fish one productive spot for 30-45 minutes, then move.