About this tournament

Fishin’ for the Cure is a charity tournament series with a simple mission: raise money to fund childhood cancer research and clinical trials, one lake at a time. The Fort Peck stop has become a fixture on the Montana–North Dakota walleye calendar, drawing teams from both sides of the border to fish out of Rock Creek Marina on the reservoir’s south shore.

The 2026 event runs Saturday August 8 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a mandatory rules meeting at 7 p.m. on Friday August 7 at the marina. The field is capped at 40 teams. Format is a catch-measure-release style event — boats can carry up to 15 fish in livewells and weigh in their top five (walleye and/or northern pike) at Rock Creek by 3 p.m. There is no per-boat angler limit and the tournament is open to anyone with a valid Montana fishing license.

Because it’s a charity event, much of the entry money and side-pot money funnels back into the cause — and the Friday night meeting typically doubles as a small fundraiser. Teams should be prepared to wash boats and tow vehicles before launching (a standing requirement to protect Fort Peck from aquatic invasives) and to pass a pre-tournament inspection at the Rock Creek ramp.

Schedule

• Fri Aug 7, 2026 — 7:00 p.m. mandatory rules meeting at Rock Creek Marina
• Sat Aug 8, 2026 — 8:00 a.m. launch / lines in
• Sat Aug 8, 2026 — 3:00 p.m. weigh-in deadline at Rock Creek Marina, followed by awards

Entry & Prizes

Entry: $100 per team. Optional $10 side pots for biggest walleye and biggest northern. Day-of registration is available for unfilled spots; field cap is 40 teams.

Prizes: Cash payouts and trophies for the top three teams plus additional position payouts, with separate big-fish side pots for walleye and northern pike. Proceeds benefit childhood cancer research and clinical trials.

What to expect

Mid-August on Fort Peck typically means walleye scattered on deeper main-lake structure — bottom-bouncers with crawler harnesses pulled along break edges in 18–30 ft are the workhorse pattern. Bring a measure board; the event scores fish by length-to-weight conversion. Wash your boat and tow rig before you arrive at Rock Creek — pre-launch inspection is strictly enforced.

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