About this tournament

The Montana Pikemasters Public Tournament is the marquee event of one of Montana’s most active fishing clubs. Established in May 1999, Montana Pikemasters is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to pike anglers across the state, and its annual public tournament has been a Fort Peck staple for a quarter-century.

The 2026 event runs Saturday and Sunday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. out of Rock Creek Marina on the south shore of Fort Peck Lake. Up to 100 teams compete for cash payouts, big-fish prizes, and bragging rights across three species — Northern Pike, Walleye, and Smallmouth Bass — making it one of the few multi-species predator tournaments in Montana.

Proceeds support the club’s youth fishing programs and pike conservation work on Fort Peck and other Montana waters. Applications and the full rule set are downloadable from the Montana Pikemasters website.

Schedule

• Friday evening — registration and rules meeting at Rock Creek Marina
• Saturday 7:00am–5:00pm — Day 1 tournament hours
• Sunday 7:00am–5:00pm — Day 2 tournament hours, weigh-in and awards

Entry & Prizes

Entry: $200 per team. Field capped at approximately 100 teams. Application and rules available on the Montana Pikemasters website.

What to expect

Rock Creek arm of Fort Peck holds pike, walleye, and smallmouth in close quarters — that’s the appeal of this event. For pike, work the flooded timber and weed edges with big spoons (Daredevles, Johnson Silver Minnows), bucktail spinnerbaits and large jerkbaits. For walleye, bottom-bounce crawler harnesses along the points and humps. Smallmouth stack on the rocky shoreline structure — drop-shot rigs and tubes work well. Late June can bring hot afternoons and wind — start early, plan for chop, and respect Fort Peck’s massive open-water fetch.

History

Montana Pikemasters was founded in May 1999 in Billings and has grown into one of the most active fishing clubs in the state. The 2026 tournament is the 25th annual running. Past events have crowned teams from across Montana and neighboring states and consistently fill to capacity.