Hone your fishing skills and see how you stack up against other anglers during the Mac Attack Fishing Contest, targeting lake trout less than 25 inches at Flaming Gorge Reservoir. The two-day contest is Jan 13-14, 2024. Participants will compete for eight prize categories and enter into five drawings, including two youth drawings. Registered participants can fish from shore, ice, or boat.
The Green River fisheries biologists endorsing the Mac Attack are concerned that the large number of lake trout less than 25 inches in the reservoir consume a significant number of juvenile kokanee. A population estimate completed this year found the number of small lake trout is three times greater than similar estimates from the 1980s, or over 143,000 small lake trout in Flaming Gorge today. Recent research also indicated that juvenile kokanee make up approximately 25% of the diet of small lake trout, suggesting that predation by small lake trout can significantly reduce the population of kokanee salmon and trout in the reservoir.
Reducing the number of small lake trout in the reservoir will mean more juvenile kokanee, and trout will survive to adulthood and be available for anglers.
That’s where anglers can make a difference. “Angler harvest can be an effective tool for managing fisheries,” says John Walrath, Regional Fisheries Biologist for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. “The Mac Attack Fishing Contest is a fun opportunity for anglers to do a little fisheries management by removing small lake trout while competing for numerous prizes. Last January, participants harvested and entered just over 900 small lake trout. This year, organizers hope participants will more than double that number.”
Put together a two to four-person team and have fun while helping the fishery and competing for at least 32 prizes across eight categories. Registration is $50 per person. Find the rules and registration information online at Buckboard Marina’s webpage or the contest’s Facebook page.
For tips on catching and cooking lake trout, visit the Flaming Gorge Management page.
