About this tournament

The John Arnold Memorial honors a longtime member of Montana’s walleye community and has been on the Helena-area chapter’s calendar for years. It’s hosted by the Upper Missouri River Walleyes Unlimited chapter (UMRC) of Walleyes Unlimited of Montana — the same group behind a string of Hauser, Holter, and Canyon Ferry events that bookend the local season.

The derby launches and weighs in at the York Bridge Fishing Access Site on the upper end of Hauser Lake, where most of the walleye action lives mid-summer. Format is a one-day team tournament with a five-fish walleye limit, typical 8 a.m.–3 p.m. fishing window, and a weigh-in at the ramp. Entry stays low ($40/team) to keep the event approachable — proceeds go back into the chapter’s local conservation, fish-rearing, and youth-fishing efforts.

August on Hauser is a transitional time of year. The big spring fish from the Causeway and the gulp are scattered out, but the lake’s mid-depth weed lines and rocky drop-offs around York Bridge produce consistent eaters for teams who slow down and work bottom-bouncers and slow-death rigs.

Schedule

• Fri Aug 14, 2026 — Tournament day on Hauser Lake; typical 8 a.m. launch and 3 p.m. weigh-in at York Bridge Fishing Access Site

Entry & Prizes

Entry: $40 per two-person team. Open to Walleyes Unlimited members and non-members; chapter membership encouraged.

Prizes: Cash payouts to the top-finishing teams plus side pots (varies year to year). Proceeds support UMRC chapter conservation and youth fishing programs.

What to expect

Focus on the upper end of the lake near York Bridge and the Causeway area — Hauser’s walleye stack on rocky points and weed-to-rock transitions in 12–22 ft this time of year. Bottom-bouncers with crawler harnesses and slow-death hooks tipped with half a crawler are the go-to. The York Bridge ramp gets busy on tournament mornings — show up early to launch.

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