Mack Days Fishing Events are sponsored by the Confederated Salish and
Kootenai Tribes. The events are fish conservation efforts used as a management
tool to reduce non-native lake trout in Flathead Lake and increase the native bull
trout and westslope cutthroat trout in the lake. The native fish are an important
part of tribal history and are important to the people of Montana. They were a
food source people depended on.
Knowing the habits of the fish and where to find them during certain times of the
year was a way to survive if other food sources were depleted. The areas these
native fish once inhabited has been greatly reduced over the years. Native fish
require clean, cold, and clear water-water areas that they are losing for a lot of
different reasons including the dryer weather and warmer temperatures from
climate change. Flathead Lake is one of the few remaining strongholds for the
bull trout and westslope cutthroat. Protecting these fish is a responsibility we all
need to share.
Anglers asked to be part of the effort to reduce the numbers of the non-native
lake trout in Flathead Lake and the events were developed for anglers to become
involved. The 2025 Spring Event holds the record of the most lake trout entered-
60,138. Five time 1 st place winner in the Spring Events Kolton Turner holds the
record of highest number with 2,320 during the 2025 Spring Event. The anglers
make the events the success that they are. Every angler is important to the
events-catching one fish or 100-they all count. Thank you to all of the anglers
who come out and participate.
The 2026 Spring Mack Days Event continues until May 9 th , come out and do your
part to help restore the native trout species of Flathead Lake. These events
began in 2002 with 888 lake trout entries in that first event There are two events
per year-this is the 48 th event. To be successful in this fish reduction effort the
events need to continue well into the future. Mack Days Events are sanctioned
by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks.
Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes
Natural Resources Department
Division of Fish, Wildlife, Recreation & Conservation
P.O. Box 278
Pablo, MT 59855
(406) 675-2700 extension 7241
Lottery drawings-begin at $2,000 and go to $600-every lake trout entry gives you
a chance to win one of these cash prizes. Bonus dollars start with your 11 th lake
trout entry-check out the bonus chart on the website www.mackdays.com .
Example 11-30 lake trout entries-$45 in bonus dollars, 151-175-$420, 451-475-
$1,710 and on up. Tagged fish with values from $10,000 to $100-(1)-$10,000, (3)
$5,000, and (5) $1,000. Largest lake trout, and smallest lake trout prizes-just a
few of the ways to win!
Entries are taken until the last day of the event. There is no entry fee. You can
even go out and fish all day and enter at the end of the day when you come in.
The slot limit for 30-36” lake trout is now lake wide. No lake trout entries will be
taken for those fish. The largest lake trout entry is to be documented with a dated
picture of the fish and a measurement device. Releasing the large lake trout is
encouraged after the measurement and picture are taken.
It was a blustery, cold, snowy first weekend for the lake trout anglers on Flathead
Lake. The lake trout anglers were determined and successful-fighting the cold
temps and wet weather. Two hundred sixty- two anglers are registered in the
event. Thirty anglers fished the 1 st weekend. They turned in a total of 1,831 lake
trout in the Friday to Sunday fishing. Thursday was the first day of the Monday-
Thursday fishing with a total of 37 lake trout brought in by two wind-blown
anglers Patrick Casey of Townsend and Jerry Benson of Plains. They were two
against the wind and the big waves rolling on the lake.
Week one final total came to 1,868. Fridays total came to 907. The first 100 limit
of lake trout was turned in by Bob Turner of Columbia Falls with Kolton Turner
coming in seconds later with another 100-lake trout count. Other high counts
were: Ken Varga of Kalispell with 76 and Larry Ashwell of Missoula had 73.
Ending total for Friday was 907. Saturday started out with snow coming down
making and looking like it was winter wonderland weather not fishing weather.
Once again Bob and Kolton Turner had 100 fish limit totals with Patrick Casey
joining the 100 club with his. Next largest number of lake trout was 58 turned in
by Jerry Benson. Saturdays total came to 487. Sunday-100 fish limits again for
the Columbia Falls father and son-Bob and Kolton Turner. These guys have 3-
100 fish days so far. Total for Sunday fishing came to 437.
Top Twenty Angler placing after the 1 st weekend: 1 st and 2 nd -Kolton and Bob
Turner of Columbia Falls-300, 3 rd -Jerry Benson-Plains 160, 4 th Patrick Casey-
Townsend 155, 5 th Devon Bukowski of Kalispell 113, 6 th Clint Speer-Kalispell 96,
7 th Mike Benson-Lonepine 79, 8 th Gene Corne-Kalispell 78, 9 th Ken Varga-
Kalispell 76, 10 th Larry Ashwell-Missoula 73, 11 th Angie Morrow-Kalispell 70, 12 th
Jack Kirkland of Lolo 51, 13 th Brodie Smith Kalispell 44, 14 th Michael Colyer of
Missoula 42, 15 th Michael Stevenson of Kalispell 38, 16 th Larry Ludahl-Kalispell
35, 17 th Steven Andrachick Kalispell 31, 18 th Greg Salisbury Missoula 25, 19 th Bob
Bouchee-Missoula 24, and 20 th Joe Minnehan-Kalispell 11.
Angie Morrow of Kalispell leads the Ladies Category with 70 lake trout entries.
The 13-17 Category leader is Brodie Smith of Kalispell with 44 turned in on
Saturday. Aiden Brewer of Stevensville turned in a nice lake trout and is leading
the 12 and under with 2 fish. One was the largest fish in the boat!
70 & Over leader is Jerry Benson with 160 lake trout entries.
A $200 tagged lake trout was turned in by Kolton Turner on Saturday and Bob
Turner turned in a $100 tagged lake trout.
Winners of the 1 st weekend prizes are: $200-Larry Ludahl of Kalispell and $100-
Jerry Benson of Plains and Kolton Turner of Columbia Falls.
Reminder to be weather observant when out on the water, have a good weather
app to check before going out. Check your safety equipment and have your
PFD’s on board.