Salt Lake City — If you want to add an extra challenge to your ice fishing this winter, a tournament may be just the thing. Plus, you can help many of Utah's fisheries by harvesting overabundant fish and also have the opportunity to win prizes!
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and Utah State Parks will be sponsoring or hosting several ice fishing tournaments from January to March around the state. A valid Utah fishing license is required for anyone who is 12 or older to fish in any of the events. The entrance fee will apply for any tournaments or events held within a state park.
Anyone participating should be familiar with the ice safety recommendations on the Utah State Parks website and should take all the necessary safety precautions. Anglers should visit the DWR website to find more helpful ice fishing tips and ways to avoid common violations.
Important: Some of these events may be canceled or postponed if temperatures are too warm and cause unsafe ice conditions, so watch the event websites and your registration emails for updates.
Here are some exciting ice fishing tournaments to check out across the state this winter:
Burbot Bash
Hosted by the Flaming Gorge Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by the DWR, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the U.S. Forest Service, the Burbot Bash will be held Jan. 24-26, 2025 at Flaming Gorge Reservoir. This annual ice fishing tournament helps to control the reservoir's population of burbot, a cod-like fish that rapidly reproduces and preys on other sportfish species in the reservoir. Thousands of dollars in cash and prizes will be awarded to anglers who catch the most burbot, the largest and smallest burbot, and tagged burbot.
Registration opens Jan. 1. For more contest details or to register, visit the Burbot Bash website.
East Canyon Ice Fishing Derby with Fins & Fur
Fins & Fur Guide Service is partnering with East Canyon State Park to host their annual ice fishing contest on Feb. 8, 2025, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cash prizes will be paid out to those who catch the top four fish, with additional hourly prizes awarded for the biggest fish caught that hour. Registration is $50 per participant and does not include the state park entrance fee, which will still be in effect. You can find more information and register on Eventbrite.
Ice Addiction Tournament at Steinaker State Park
Hosted by Tightline Outdoors and Utah State Parks, the annual Ice Addiction Tournament will take place at Steinaker Reservoir on Jan. 25, 2025, from 8 a.m. to noon. Anglers can also compete at three other waterbodies in Colorado as part of the tournament series. Register for the Steinaker event and find more details on the Tightline Outdoors website.
Mac Attack Derby
Hosted by Buckboard Marina at Flaming Gorge Reservoir and sponsored by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, this annual fishing contest is geared toward helping control the population of small lake trout — under 25 inches — at Flaming Gorge. This contest will be held on Feb. 15-17, 2025, and registration is $50.
Anglers who catch a tagged lake trout and turn in the tag will automatically win a cash prize. Other drawings for prizes are also available for registered participants, including the heaviest average team weight for lake trout under 25 inches, the heaviest weight for an individual lake trout under 19 inches, the lightest weight for an individual lake trout under 11 inches and for catching the biggest burbot.
Learn the rules of the contest and register at the Buckboard Marina website.
Millsite On Ice Fishing Tournament
The 10th annual Millsite on Ice Fishing Tournament will be held on Jan. 10-11, 2025 at Millsite State Park. The first day of the tournament (Jan. 10) will be a two-person team tournament. The second day (Jan. 11) will be a single-person event and will include categories for youth, women and men. The tournament will run from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day. Prizes will be awarded for the longest fish. New this year, prizes will also be awarded for tagged fish. Learn more and register on the Millsite on Ice website.
Monster Cisco Disco & Tournament
While this is not technically "ice fishing" because Bear Lake doesn't typically freeze over, this annual winter fishing event is worth attending. The Monster Cisco Disco tournament is part of the three-day Bear Lake Monster Winterfest and will take place on Jan. 25, 2025, from 6 a.m. to noon, at Bear Lake State Park. Participants will have the chance to dip net for Bonneville cisco, a fish species only found at Bear Lake. Prizes for the biggest cisco will be awarded for both adult and youth categories. While the event is free, the state park entrance fee will still be in effect. For more details and tournament rules, visit the Bear Lake Monster Winterfest website.
Quadfishathon
Utah State Parks is holding an ice fishing tournament that spans four different state parks: East Canyon, Echo, Lost Creek and Rockport. You can compete at the individual sites for $50 per location or register for all four locations for $150. The state park entrance fee will be included in the registration fee. The tournaments will happen on the following days:
- Jan. 18: Lost Creek State Park
- Jan. 19: East Canyon State Park
- Feb. 1: Rockport State Park
- Feb. 2: Echo State Park
Learn more and register on the Parks Pass website.
Steinaker Youth Ice Fishing Derby
Steinaker State Park and the DWR are partnering with Disabled Outdoorsmen Utah to host an ice fishing tournament specifically for youth. Pending ice conditions, the event will tentatively be held on Saturday, Feb. 1 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Prizes will be awarded for the heaviest fish overall, the heaviest fish for each age bracket, the smallest fish for each age bracket and the first fish turned in. The event is free and Uintah County Tourism will pay the state park entrance fee for one vehicle per participant. Participants must register on Eventbrite before Jan. 29.
Learn tips for ice fishing
If you want to improve your ice fishing skills before the tournaments — or if you've never been ice fishing and are excited to try it — you should consider attending an upcoming DWR ice fishing clinic. The event will be held Saturday, Jan. 11, from 10 a.m. to noon, at the DWR Price Office at 319 N. Carbonville Road in Price. Participants will learn the basics of ice fishing, including ice safety, equipment, lure selection and fishing techniques. While the event is free, participants are asked to register for it in advance on Eventbrite.
Most fishing tournaments require organizers to obtain a certificate of registration from the DWR. Find more information about how to apply and learn what is required by visiting the DWR website.
