Minnesota to host national bass fishing championship in August

A national bass fishing championship event is coming to the Land of 10,000 Lakes this summer.

The Bass Anglers Sportsman Society announced Monday that the 2026 Strike King Bassmaster College Championship will be held at Leech Lake from Aug. 20-22.

It’s the first time the collegiate event is being held at Leech Lake. Bemidji previously hosted the College Series National Championship in 2017.

“Leech Lake is an incredible fishery that will challenge every team in the field and reward anglers who can adapt,” said Glenn Cale, B.A.S.S. Tournament Manager for the College, High School and Junior Series. “We are excited to bring the College Championship to Minnesota for the first time and to showcase Leech Lake to a national audience. This will be the first College tournament held on Leech Lake, and we believe it will provide a memorable and competitive championship experience for these student-anglers.”

The lake, located roughly 200 miles north of the Twin Cities, is Minnesota’s third-largest fully in-state lake, spanning over 112,000 acres. It’s known as a world-class walleye fishery, but also has a growing largemouth and smallmouth bass population, B.A.S.S. says.

As part of the summer event, college anglers from across the country will come to Minnestoa to compete for a national title.

More tournament details are scheduled to be announced at a later time.
The post Minnesota to host national bass fishing championship in August first appeared on KSTP.com 5 Eyewitness News.