Hoosier anglers can take Midwest Walleye Challenge

Indiana anglers are invited to participate in the 2025 Midwest Walleye Challenge, a virtual fishing tournament that offers the opportunity to win prizes and contribute to fisheries management while providing Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) fisheries biologists with valuable data on the state's walleye, sauger, and saugeye populations.

The tournament kicked off on April 1 and ends June 29. Only catches of walleye, sauger, and saugeye count in the tournament.

The Midwest Walleye Challenge was piloted in Iowa three years ago. Additional Midwest states have joined in adding to the larger fisheries research project, creating a regionwide citizens science opportunity.

There's a $25 registration fee to enter, with biweekly cash prizes available. Participants have a chance to win a grand prize at the end of the tournament.

Anglers can submit catches and their time on the water for multiple categories, including a "Tough Luck" category for those who log fishing trips but don't catch anything, a "Most Waterbodies Fished" category for those who log trips from multiple rivers, lakes, and streams, and a standard "Longest Fish" category, in addition to random prize drawings for all participants.

Participants use the free mobile app, MyCatch, to submit photos of their catch on a measuring device so length and species can be determined. Once the photo is reviewed, and the catch is confirmed, it will appear on a live leaderboard so anglers can see their current tournament ranking.

Those interested in participating can view the rules and register at anglersatlas.com/event/840 or with the MyCatch app.

For more information, visit wildlife.IN.gov/fishing/walleye-fishing/#Tournament_Details