February 2023 Ice Fishing Competitions
The hard water season may be half over, but for those anglers looking for some ice angling competition, February is a great month on Mille Lacs Lake for fishing tournaments. The following ice fishing tournaments will be taking place over the next four weeks:
Saturday, February 4th – The 2023 Justin Morneau Ice Fishing Classic (put on by The United Heroes League) will take place at Nitti’s Hunter’s Point Resort, which is located at 5436 479th St, Isle, MN 56342 on the East side of the lake. All proceeds of the event will go directly to the 501c3 non-profit United Heroes League that helps military families heal, build friendships, and engage in their communities through sports. 500 anglers are expected to compete for up to $25,000 in prizes. Learn more about the tournament and register here.
Thursday, February 9th to Sunday, February 12th – Wheelhouse Warriors will hold their 4th annual event which includes an ice fishing tournament. The fishing tournament starts at midnight on Friday and lasts until 8pm on Saturday. Registration is available on the FishDonkey app. The event is also holding a 2023 Winter Raffle. Prizes include a 2023 6.5 x 14v Ice Castle Fish House and a 2022 Argo XRT 700 LE ATV with Plow Package. The official location for the event is MSA Flagship (5357 Whistle Rd, Isle, MN 56342). The ice portion of the event is facilitated by Dickie’s on Mille Lacs, which shares the same address.
Saturday, February 18th – Nitti’s Hunter’s Point Resort is hosting the Perch and Pout (though current Mille Lacs Fishing Regulations restrict eelpout to catch-and-release, so the tournament is focusing fully on perch). Buttons cost $20 each and include entry into the tournament, which awards cash prices for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place, and into the door prize drawing. Fish for perch from 7am-2pm on Saturday.
Saturday, February 18th – The Fishing for Ducks ice fishing tournament will be held in Garrison on the west side of the lake. The tournament charges $30 per pre-drilled hole ($40 after February 12th) and fishing is for the three hours from noon until 3pm on Saturday. The top 100 place prizes are determined by largest weight and time the fish is registered. (The top prize is $20,000!) To stay in compliance with walleyes can only be weighed in if they are between 21 and 23 inches or over 28 inches, no northern pike over 30 inches will be weighed and no bass over 17 inches will be weighed. Tickets can be purchased here.
Saturday, February 25th – Nitti’s Hunter’s Point Resort is sticking with the perch theme and hosting the Perch Party on the 25th of the month. Fishing is from 8am to 2pm and a button to participate costs $20. Here is a link to the Facebook event.
