IDNR Report

Indiana anglers are invited to participate in the 2024 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 begins March 30 and ends June 30. Only catches of walleye, sauger, and saugeye will count in the tournament.

The Midwest Walleye Challenge was piloted in Iowa during the past two years. This year it will be offered across the Midwest as part of a larger fisheries research project funded by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

There is both a free and a $25 paid option to enter the tournament, with biweekly cash prizes available for paid participants and noncash prizes available for free entrants. All participants will have a chance to win a grand prize at the end of the tournament.

Anglers will be able to 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 everyone who takes part.  

Participants will 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 ranking in the tournament.

Those interested in participating can view the rules and register for the tournament by visiting AnglersAtlas.com/event/769 or by using the MyCatch app.

For more information, visit on.IN.gov/walleye.