Spring Mack Days begins March 13

Spring Mack Days on Flathead Lake begin next Thursday, March 13, and continued through May 10 with nine weeks of lake trout fishing on one of the northwest’s most beautiful freshwater lakes.

Mack Days are sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and sanctioned by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. The biannual events are part of fisheries management tools used to decrease the non-native lake trout and increase the native bull trout and westslope cutthroat populations in the lake. Up to $225,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded at the conclusion of the event to the anglers who participate in this important fish conservation effort.

Lake trout were introduced into Flathead Lake in 1905. Their population remained low until the Mysis shrimp were introduced in the upper Flathead watershed lakes for the benefit of the popular non-native kokanee fish, which were introduced in 1916. By 1940, kokanee were the most sought-after fish in most areas.

The Mysis reached Flathead lake in 1981 and provided a banquet for juvenile lake trout hiding at the bottom of the lake. The lake trout population exploded and native fish populations declined as juvenile native fish were gobbled up by the lake trout.

The kokanee population in the lake disappeared over a two-year period during the 1980s.

Lake trout live longer (30-40 years) compared to bull trout (8-12 years) and westslope trout (6-8 years). 

Anglers can and do make a difference in fish conservation, according to CSKT fisheries managers. Mack Days help protect the future of native fish for generations of anglers yet to come and preserve the history of tribal people who depended on the native fish for a food source.

There are several ways to win in the competition. Anglers can fish from a boat or from shore, and can fish just one day or every day of the event. All it takes is one fish to win and that has happened before with tagged fish and with drawings done at the conclusion of the event.

There is one tagged fish worth $10,000, three worth $5,000, and five worth $1,000, plus more than 9,000 tagged lake trout with values from $100-$500. Lottery drawings range from $2,000 to $200.

Prizes are awarded in several categories: Top 20 Anglers, Ladies, Youth, Over 70 (Golden Oldies), Largest Lake Trout, Smallest Lake Trout, Weekend Prizes, Weekday Prizes, and bonus amounts that go up as an angler’s total goes up.

Fish are picked up Fridays through Sundays from 5-6 p.m. at the Somers State Boat Ramp, 6-6:30 p.m. at Big Arm State Park, 6:30-7 p.m. at Wayfarers State Boat Ramp in Bigfork, and 7-7:15 p.m. at Salish Point in Polson.

The Blue Bay office opens at 10 a.m. and closes a half hour before dark or 9 p.m., whichever comes first. On Mondays through Thursdays, all fish must be turned in at Blue Bay headquarters from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Entries will continue to be taken until the last day of the event.

Anglers can keep their catch or may donate the lake trout to be processed.

All bull trout and westslope cutthroat must be returned to the lake. Those in doubt about the ID of a fish should put it back in the water, rather than risk turning in an illegal fish. Go to the website, mackdays.com, for tips on identifying fish or visit the nearest FWP Office or Tribal Fisheries Office for information.

All boats coming into the area from outside of the Flathead Basin are required to get an Aquatic Invasive Species boat inspection before launching into Flathead waters. Contact Montana Kalispell FWP at 406-752-5501 or CSKT at 406-675-2700 or 406-883-2888 for locations of AIS Inspections.

Remember to use all safety precautions while fishing on the lake. Keep cell phones dry, have good PFDs and use them, let someone know your plans for the day, keep vigilant on weather changes and predictions, and check all fuel and batteries before launching. 

Enter online on the website www.mackdays.com or call 406-270-3386. The website also offers fishing tips, rules, and awards and entry info.