BY ANDY WALGAMOTT, NORTHWEST SPORTSMAN MAGAZINE
A 12-plus-pound tiger trout took big fish honors and a youngster went back to back in the second of two ice fishing derbies held in Northcentral Washington’s Okanogan Highlands this month.
Yesterday’s Bonaparte Lake 4th Annual Ice Derby was a cold one but still saw 242 adults and nearly 50 youth anglers turn out with their augers, ice huts and tip-up rods for a chance at cash and prizes.
For his big hybrid brown trout/brook trout, Austin Earley of Omak won $1,815 and an Otter Pro Thermal Lodge, while in the youth category, Joshua Willis of Oroville padded his winter larder to the tune of $367.50 and a Clam Kenai Pro flip-over ice fishing shelter for his 4-pound, 3-ounce rainbow trout, according to organizers.
Just the week before and at a lake on the other side of Mount Bonaparte, Willis won a $300 gift certificate from North 40 and tackle from Mack’s Lure at the 22nd Annual Molson Ice Fishing Derby after bringing in the longest fish in that event’s youth division.
Coming in second in the adult category at yesterday’s derby on Bonaparte Lake was Chris Teuscher of Spokane with a 9-pound, 14-ounce lake trout that went 32 inches, good for an AquaVue fishfinder and $907.50, while in third was Blake Messe of Omak and his 4-pound, 12-ounce tiger trout, which yielded $453.75 and an awards package from Addicted Fishing, Mack’s Lure and Operation Catching Freedom.
Rounding out the top two in the youth category was Kache Popp with a 3-pound, 12-ounce tiger trout, good for a Garmin Striker fish finder and $183.50, while Anna Dunkin, Miles W., Griffin W, Pakston B, Addison L and Dane G also claimed cash and/or prizes.
There was also a multispecies category, and Matt Mitchell put together quite the mixed bag – 2-pound, 7-ounce kokanee, 2-pound, 3-ounce tiger trout and 9-ounce bass – to win a Vexlar Genz Pack Fish Flasher, Work Sharp knife sharpener and $1,402.50.
Ice angler Chris Marcolin reported that given lead fishing gear restrictions to protect loons at Bonaparte Lake, most fish were hooked on tungsten jigs.
The derby was put on by Bonaparte Lake Resort, and organizers thanked sponsors and competitors for braving the cold and “continuing to make this the biggest ice fishing tournament in the state.”
Next year’s event is scheduled for Saturday, January 23.
After a warm December, late January has turned cold, helping to firm up the ice, though it should never be taken for granted. WDFW recommends at least 4 inches of solid ice for walking on, thicker when taking ATVs or vehicles onto the ice.
Next weekend at Bonaparte there will be an Operation Hardwater veterans, active-duty, first responders, family and friends ice fishing event. On February 7, North Idaho’s Lake Cocolalla will host a fishing tournament, and there will be a meet-and-greet on the ice at Lake Sacheen north of Spokane on February 21.
Well to the south, Diamond Lake Resort in Oregon’s South Cascades reports increasing ice fishing activity outside its lodge, while Lake of the Woods Resort says ice thickness is increasing.
Corrections, 7:36 p.m., Sunday, January 25, 2026, 10:49 a.m., Monday, January 26, 2026: Big fish winner Austin Earley’s last name was misspelled in the original version of this blog. It had been reported to us as Earleay, but that was incorrect. It is Earley. Still, somehow, the editor managed to leave it incorrect in two places after Sunday’s correction, and those have now been corrected. Our apologies.
Also, Anna Dunkin’s place was misreported by us as fourth in the youth category when she was in fact third. And the editor has been sent back to Ichthyology 101 after reporting that tiger trout are a laker-brown trout hybrid when they are actually a brook trout-brown trout hybrid.
This is the last time we ever roll the editor out of his rest home for a Sunday blog.
