Walleye Weekend

Summer in Sioux Lookout normally screams one thing—fishing! Boasting some of the greatest fisheries in the entire world, it is a no-brainer that Sioux Lookout would also host a world class fishing tournament.

The tournament had to start somewhere, and that somewhere usually starts with a group of hard working dedicated volunteers. Fortunately for Sioux Lookout's anglers, there was an amazing group ready to take on the challenge.

Spearheaded by Cory Lago and Christine Hoey, the tournament began its life as a Bass tournament, but after three years, the organizers decided to capitalize on the most popular fish in the area. Therefore "Walleye Weekend" was created.

The inaugural Walleye Weekend took place in 2007, and other than a pandemic forced cancellation during 2020, the previous tournament celebrated the 13th year of the successful event. This three day, weekend tournament, is one of the "can't-miss" events that takes place in Sioux Lookout.

Lago was quick to outline a few of the reasons he believes the event has such a strong following:

We have some of the best fisheries in the world, and people know that, also our volunteers are amazing, every year people step up and make sure that the event always runs smoothly and in a professional manner, and finally, the sponsorship support is also awesome, Sioux Lookout never fails to surprise when it comes to supporting events like this.

The professionalism of the event is evident through the roughly 80 per cent return rate from teams on a year-to-year basis. Angler registration for Walleye Weekend reaches capacity a full nine months prior to it's kick-off, with teams coming from as far as Missouri and Minnesota to compete.

Anyone interested in competing in a fishing derby that includes $21,000 worth of prizes, including prizes for "Big Fish" each day and other side prizes, should contact the Sioux Lookout Walleye Weekend on Facebook to sign up to be a part of this annual tournament.

Contact: Sioux Lookout Chamber of Commerce at 807-737-1937.