POLSON - Anglers will be sprawled across Flathead Lake for the next nine weeks as the Spring Mack Days officially began on Thursday.
The fishing event by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) gives away cash prizes for catching lake trout to reduce non-native fish in Flathead Lake.
This year’s event awards up to $225,000 in cash and prizes in a variety of categories.
The event first started in 2002 and runs twice a year, each fall and spring, attracting anglers from across Montana and beyond.
CSKT Fisheries Specialist Cindy Benson says the event helps restore native fish populations for bull and cutthroat trout.
“This is a beautiful spot, it’s someplace that we need to take care of, we need to treasure it and I believe that in doing this conservation effort to help our native fish, it will make it a better place to be,” Benson said.
Additional information about Spring Mack Days can be found at https://mackdays.com/.
Reporter Sean Wells has a more in-depth look at the history of this beloved fishing event during Thursday's KPAX News at 4 p.m.
