Moosehead Lake Togue Derby returns Feb. 2-4
GREENVILLE — The Natural Resource Education Center’s 17th annual Moosehead Lake Togue Derby will be from Friday, Feb. 2 through 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 4.
Come join us for a fun weekend to celebrate the ice fishing tradition of the Moosehead Lake Region. Three prizes will be awarded for the first-, second-, and third-largest togue. Winners will be ranked by weight. Prizes for the three largest togue are $1,500 for first place, $500 for second place, and $250 for third..
No fish needed to win, just buy a ticket and you could be a winner in the door prize drawing! The first door prize is $1,500 cash, along with over 50 other prizes such as gift cards, gift certificates, gas cards, sports tickets, and goods from businesses around the state.
The youth prize drawing includes a lifetime fishing license sponsored by the Moosehead Lake Fisheries Coalition
Tickets are $25 for individuals and $40 for families (parents, grandparents or guardians and children age 17 and under). The youth drawing tickets are $5. Save some time and buy your derby tickets online at the EVENTBRITE page.
Tickets are available at Indian Hill Trading Post and Lucky Bait in Greenville, Moosehead Bait & Tackle in Rockwood, Mountain’s Market in Dover-Foxcroft, and the Old Town Trading Post.
Fish can be weighed at Bartley Event Center at 241 Pritham Avenue in Greenville or Moosehead Bait and Tackle in Rockwood. Weigh stations will be open Friday from 3-6 p.m., Saturday from 4–7 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information, see the Moosehead Lake Togue Derby Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085294253192 and the Eventbrite page at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-17th-annual-moosehead-lake-togue-derby-2024-tickets-776727381507.
This derby is for lake trout (togue) caught in Moosehead Lake only. No other fish can be entered. All fish must be free of ice, snow, & visible bait and/or tackle before weighing.
The legal bag limit on Moosehead Lake is one togue over 18 inches. Participants are reminded if they keep a togue over 18 inches to register for a prize, they must legally consume that fish before keeping another togue over 18 inches
Entrants with a potential winning fish will be required to provide the judges with the exact location of their catch. The top three winners will be required to sign an affidavit that their winning entries were caught in Moosehead Lake and may be subject to interviews by the judges. All winning fish may be retained and closely examined by the judges. In all matters, the decision of the derby judges will be final.
All Maine ice fishing regulations must be followed and all winners unless exempt will be required to provide proof of a valid fishing license.
The derby will be postponed by NREC in the event that Moosehead Lake does not have a safe thickness of ice and the derby will be rescheduled.
Three prizes will be awarded for the first, second, and third largest togue. Winners will be ranked by weight. First tiebreaker will be the longest length; second tiebreaker will be the earlier time weighed. In all matters, the decision of the derby judges will be final.
As a final note: We are encouraging anglers to harvest their limit of smaller togue to help control the population. IFW states that additional harvest is needed to keep the population in check and ensure good growth for togue, salmon and brook trout. The derby has been very successful in helping to manage the fisheries on Moosehead Lake.
The Natural Resource Education Center at Moosehead was incorporated as an educational 501(3)c in 1996. We are a small local non-profit with lofty goals. Our mission is to provide natural and cultural resource-based programming to the residents and thousands of visitors that come to the Moosehead Lake Region of Maine to explore its’ woods and water. We’ve been working hard for over 25 years and we need your support for our next 25! We have an all-volunteer board of directors so 100 percent of our membership funds and donations go directly to our programs. That’s right, you can be sure your donation will go exactly where you wanted. So buy your derby ticket today!