2025 Spring Mack Days week three ended with a total of 20,211 lake trout entries. Weekend totals were Friday 1,939, Saturday 1,806, and Sunday 1,821. The Monday to Thursday total is 4,612 and Friday to Sunday total 15,599. We are off to an Amazing start, the 2022 Event total at three weeks was 9,039, in 2023-11,315, and in 2024-13,751.
There is UP to $225,000 in Cash and Prizes sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes that will be awarded to anglers at the conclusion of the event. There are several ways to win, check out the categories at www.mackdays.com. It is not too late to enter and become one of the anglers who are eligible to win lottery prizes, tagged fish, etc. Entries are taken until the last day of the event. Mack Days Events are used to reduce the non-native lake trout population in Flathead Lake and increase the native bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout populations. Anglers are helping in this effort for the future of these native fish in the lake so they can be here for our future generations.
Willy is the $10,000 most wanted lake trout in Flathead Lake! Any angler would like to have him at the end of their fishing line. There are also 3-$5,000, 5-$1,000 and over 9,000 with $100-$500 values in the lake. Turning in tagged lake trout the 3rd week were: $100-Claude Kaber of Kalispell, Jack Kirkland of Lolo, Bob Turner of Kalispell, Clint Speer of Kalispell, Dave Myers of Riverton WY, and Carter Lindsay of Pablo. The $200 winners were Matt Brazda of Missoula and Jerry Benson of Plains.
A new leader in the Largest Fish Category came in also during the third week. Matt Brazda turned in a 36.25-inch 20.5-pound lake trout entry. The winner in this category is the heaviest lake trout over 36”. Matt released the lake trout back into Flathead Lake. Smallest lake trout so far are a 164mm (6.5”) lake trout entered by Mike Colyer of Missoula and 191mm (7.5”) entry by Bob Stewart.
Every angler is important to the event if they turn in one fish, two fish, twenty, or one hundred. Every fish gives them a chance to win in the lottery prizes plus once their total gets to 11 entries they begin to accumulate bonus dollars. As their total goes up they move up in the bonus dollar amounts. Check out the bonus chart on the website. The youth anglers are fun to watch as they get more and more experienced. Smiles are big at the end of the day.
Ten days in a row Bob and Kolton Turner of Kalispell have turned in 100 lake trout limits of lake trout in the 2025 Spring Mack Days Fishing Event. Nine of those days count in the weekend totals. They are tied for first place with 900 lake trout entries each.
In the Top Twenty Category of the event. Jason Mahlen of Kalispell holds 3rd place with 812, 4th Clint Speer-Kalispell 673, 5th David Myers of Riverton WY-663, 6th Jerry Benson-Plains 626, 7th Gene Corne of Kalispell-525, 8th Mike Benson of Lonepine-512, 9th Larry Ludahl of Kalispell-496, 10th Patrick Casey of Townsend-454, 11th Terry Krogstad Kalispell-439, 12th Steve Andrachick of Missoula-429, 13th Ken Varga Kalispell-337, 14th Bryan Long Kalispell-334, 15th Jack Kirkland Lolo 329, 16th Michael Stevenson Kalispell 325, 17th Brodie Smith Kalispell-321, 18th Julie Perkins Kalispell-320, 19th Bob Stewart Kalispell-310, 20th Larry Ashwell Missoula-273.
Julie Perkins of Kalispell is still leading that category with 320, 2nd Janey Myers of Riverton Wy 2nd with 145, 3rd Shaunda Albert of Ronan with 56, 4th Connie Jones of Kalispell with 52, and 5th Laurie Bouley of Columbia Falls with 26.
Brodie Smith is doing well with 321 lake trout entries leading in the 13-17 Category, 2nd is Fjord Borgen of Kalispell with 14, 3rd place is held by David Gerspach of Kila with 3. Benjamin Dieterich of Kalispell is 1st in the 12 & Under group with 20, 2nd Mason Cusker of Bigfork with 6, 3rd Carter Lindsay of Pablo with 5, and 4th Allyvia Yang of Missoula with 2.
Winners in the third weekend drawing were: $200-Jason Mahlen and $100 were Larry Karper of Florence, Bob Stewart of Kalispell, Jason Mahlen, and Clint Speer of Kalispell.
Warmer spring weather is coming! Come out and enjoy the beauty of Flathead Lake. Enter online of go out and fish entering at the end of the day. The website lists the times for fish pickups around the lake and the fish headquarters at Blue Bay. Be safe, follow all boating and fishing regulations & please pay attention to weather reports!
Tight lines and good luck everyone!
–CSKT–
Photo: Matt Brazda Largest Lake Trout Leader (36.25 inches & 20.5 pounds)
