Lake Erie walleye fishing tournaments happen all year across Lake Erie. Fishing tournaments are a fun way to showcase your walleye fishing skills. Each walleye tournament has an entry fee and a payout schedule, both amounts depend on the number of entrants expected. The more entrants the bigger the payout. There are a couple of different types of walleye fishing tournaments. Some derbies run a certain length of time (usually a month or more) and there are 1-3 day tournaments. Some tournaments are open to any entrant and some are closed to members only. In this tournament schedule and guide, we will cover all types of tournaments.
Walleye Derby
In walleye derbies there is usually a cutoff for signing up, then the actual fishing time runs for a month more. The biggest fish weighed by the end of the derby will win a prize. You can upgrade your fish during the derby dates, but only your biggest fish will count in the end. Usually, multiple places are paid in all derbies. Some fishermen like lengthy derbies better because you have a lot of time to find fish and perfect a walleye bite. You also have a choice to only fish when the weather is nice and calm.
FishCrazy Lake Erie Walleye Spring Derby
This is our favorite derby. It is run by some great fishermen who take care of the anglers. This derby runs for about six weeks starting mid-April every year. There is a one-time entry fee of $50 for in-person/mailed and $55 for online entry. This derby offers payouts for the overall division, kid’s division, women’s division, shore division, and veteran’s division. You may not have a big enough fish to weigh in for the overall division, but maybe for a different division. This is a great way to run a derby and give everyone a better chance of cashing in. Click LAKE ERIE WALLEYE DERBY to head over to the website and register.
Fall Walleye Slam
The fall walleye slam is a great derby for the money. This derby usually runs from mid-October to the first Sunday in December. Fall is a great time to walleye fish on Lake Erie. The entry fee for this derby is $35 with a small transaction fee if entering online. This derby pays out ten spots in the main division. There are other divisions as well including a veterans division, women’s division, kid’s division, and shore/kayak division. This derby provides great payouts and usually first place is a new boat! WALLEYE SLAM!
Lake Erie Fall Brawl
The Lake Erie fall brawl was the first fall derby to start it all. This derby is similar to the walleye slam in that there is a $35 entry fee. The derby usually runs from mid-October to the beginning of December. There is a main division along with side divisions. Some of the divisions include a women’s division, a kid’s division, and a shore/kayak division. This derby only pays out the top five finishers. The payouts are usually higher in this derby with the top two prizes being boats.
Lake Erie Walleye Fishing Tournaments
Lake Erie walleye tournaments are usually a 1-3 day tournament. Some tournaments are run as a pro-am and in others, you can pick your partner for the season. Some tournament trails have a membership fee along with tournament fees for each event. Most tournament trails have a team of the year award for the overall team that finished with the most points at the end of the year. These tournaments have an official practice time and anglers have to adhere to that.
Lake Erie Walleye Trail LEWT
The Lake Erie walleye trail is a team tournament trail where teams compete throughout the year. There are payouts for each event and team of the year. The entry fees for each tournament are $300 and an optional $120 for side pots. There are five regular events, two open events, and the championship at the end of the year in October.
Masters Walleye Circuit
The Masters Walleye Circuit is a professional team tournament series. The trail was set up in 1984 and is continuing to go strong. They visit walleye fisheries during peak times to give the competitors the best chance to catch large fish. This tournament trail has seven regular events with a championship for the prior year qualifiers. The Masters Walleye Circuit is one of the premier trails with high payouts. They travel to different cities and lakes all around the mid-west and east every year. Each regular season tournament has an entry fee of $650 with an optional pot of $350 per team. Visit the Masters Walleye Circuit page!
National Walleye Tour NWT
The National Walleye Tour is the top walleye fishing tournament series in the nation. They offer high payout events and a championship. The tournaments are run as Pro/Am events. This means you sign up as either a pro or co-angler and get randomly paired with someone else who signed up. This levels the playing field and adds fairness to the tournament. There are four regular-season events along with a championship at the end of the season. Each event costs a pro $1750 to enter one tournament and a co-angler $500 to enter one tournament. With steep entry fees come high payouts. Each event either gives away a boat for first place or cash over $100k. Visit their website at the National Walleye Tour.