About this tournament

The Fresno Challenge is hosted by the Fresno Chapter of Montana Walleyes Unlimited and has long served as the kickoff event of the Montana walleye tournament season. The format is a two-day team tournament on Fresno Reservoir, with a Thursday-night captains/rules meeting and a complimentary meal provided by the Fresno Chapter.

IMPORTANT — 2026 cancellation: On May 28, 2026, Tournament Director Josh Parrow officially cancelled the 2026 Fresno Challenge due to rapidly declining water levels at Fresno Reservoir. Parrow’s statement to anglers: “It may look good now, but with water being released downstream, it will be too low by tournament time.” Anglers with applications in hand are encouraged to pivot to other Walleyes Unlimited events on the 2026 calendar.

In a normal year the tournament draws hundreds of anglers from across the country and serves as one of the most important early-summer Hi-Line community events. Watch for a return in 2027 pending water conditions at Fresno.

Schedule

• Thursday evening — captains/rules meeting with complimentary meal (Fresno Chapter)
• Friday 7am–4pm — Day 1 fishing
• Saturday 7am–4pm — Day 2 fishing and final weigh-in

Entry & Prizes

Entry: $300 per 2-angler team in standard years; 2026 entries refunded due to cancellation. Anglers should contact the Fresno Chapter directly.

What to expect

When the event runs, Fresno fishes best in early summer with crawler harnesses and spinner rigs trolled along the old river channel and weedlines. Lead-core and bottom-bouncers cover water efficiently. Watch wind forecasts — Fresno can turn unfishable fast on a north wind. Pike are a strong secondary species and will hammer walleye-rigged crawlers.

History

The Fresno Challenge is the first stop of the year for the Walleyes Unlimited of Montana tournament circuit and one of the longest-running walleye events on the Hi-Line. Past tournament reports from the Havre Daily News document strong fields and family-friendly weigh-ins.

Contact