45th Annual Midwest Musky Classic

October 3-5, 2025

Fishing on North and South Twin Lakes, Lac Vieux Desert and Big Sand Lake.

2024 Winners

2023 Winners

2022 Winners

Win a Free Entry to the Midwest Musky Classic!

The Hook-A-Buddy program gives you the chance to win a free registration for next year’s fishing tournament, just by telling a friend about this great event! Any participants named on registration forms as a referring friend will be entered in a drawing to win a Hook-A-Buddy prize package, which will include next year’s registration fee. Have a buddy you want to beat on the water or share a boat with? Pass on a registration form!

First time musky tournament participants will be entered in a New Angler drawing for a chance to win their own free registration for the following years Midwest Musky Classic.

Participants must be present at the Sunday Award Ceremony to win Hook-A-Buddy or New Angler drawings.

Spectacular Fishing All Year Round in Phelps Wisconsin!

With the many clear freshwater lakes in Phelps, you will find world-class fishing all year long! Try your luck at catching award winning muskies, brook trout, walleye, bass and pan fish in an area with the highest density of freshwater lakes in the world! And ice fishing is a Northwoods tradition for many die-hard fishermen – schedule your ice fishing trip to Phelps today!

Interested in Supporting the Midwest Musky Classic?

There are several ways that you can help make this event awesome. We are currently seeking sponsors and volunteers for this year’s tournament. Interested businesses can become a financial sponsor or donate an item for the Awards Lunch raffles. Have some free time that weekend? We are also looking for individuals with boats to act as tournament judges. Call 715-545-3800 for more details.

Support Local Events

Become a Sponsor Today! Thank you to all of our wonderful volunteer judges and supporting businesses for helping keep the Midwest Musky Classic alive. Would you like to be a sponsor for this long-time fishing tournament? Email chamber-office@phelpwi.us for more info!

Midwest Musky Classic Rules—to be amended with details on judge boats and pictures as a back up. Final rules will be sent to all participants and distributed with packets at check in.

• All fishermen must respect duck hunters and stay away from their decoys.

• All boating laws apply, and fishing courtesies are expected. Remember that non-tournament boats have the right to fish as well.

• The Midwest Musky Classic will be held on Lac Vieux Desert, North and South Twin Lakes and Big Sand Lake

• Fishing hours of the Classic are Friday and Saturday 8am to 6pm and Sunday 7am to 11am.

• Early bird registration deadline is September 15. There will be no refunds for accepted registrations. There will not be entry cards emailed or mailed as they are not needed for the tournament.

• Registration fee is $90 per contestant. This fee include Big Fish of the Day entry for all 3 days and tournament hat.

• Only one substitution can be made. This will be allowed on Friday morning before 8am. No other changes will be allowed under any circumstances.

• Prizes are as follows: 1st place—$1200 cash and replica of winning fish courtesy of Phelps Chamber of Commerce and Rick Lax Taxidermy, 2nd place—$1000 cash, 3rd place—$800 cash

• Prizes are subject to increase based on the number of participants. 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes will be awarded to the biggest (longest) fish caught over the three days of the tournament. Contestants are only eligible to win one of the three grand prizes. Biggest (longest) fish of each day will receive a cash prize equaling $5 multiplied by the number of contestants. 1st, 2nd and 3rd place fish are also eligible to win Big Fish of the Day. If less than 3 fish are registered over the three days of the tournament 1st, 2nd and/or 3rd place will be raffled off on Sunday at the lunch with each participant receiving an equal chance. Must show ID and sign paperwork before receiving prize money.

• Winners will be determined by length of fish. Ties will be broken using the date and time of fish registration with the prize being awarded to the fish measured earliest. If still tied, prizes will be combined and split. There will be no weighing of fish according to state rules.

• Minimum length of a fish accepted in the classic is 36”. All measurements will be done by tournament officials or someone designated by them. Once measurements are recorded, no fish will be re-measured.

• No fish will be counted or measured before or after set fishing hours unless officials have been notified of a fish being caught before the closing of tournament fishing hours.

• Fish must be registered at the point on the lake where the fish was caught.

• Fish must be registered as soon as caught (You cannot leave it in your live well continuing to fish. This is grounds for disqualification). Contestants must possess a cradle or landing net large enough to hold a musky upright in the water. The fish must be kept in the water until time of registration. Once a fish is caught, you may not move the boat under power unless it is necessary to avoid eminent danger or to facilitate the safe release of a fish.

• Release of the fish is highly encouraged. Officials will determine if a musky can be released, and the contestant cannot return to the water until such a determination is made. Should it be determined that a legal sized fish will not survive, it is to be harvested by either the contestant or tournament official and the participant will be done fishing for the day. All fish under the legal size limit must be released regardless of survival per DNR rules and regulations. However, if it is determined the undersized fish will not survive, the angler is still done fishing for the day.

• Tournament officials can require, at their discretion, contestants to open their live wells and inspect their boats before beginning to fish on each lake or at any time throughout the tournament.

• Contact information for the tournament officials, judge boats, lake maps, tournament hats, and any changes to locations will be available at the Phelps Chamber of Commerce office, Sand Lake Pub, Phelps Hillside Resort, and Sunrise Lodge on Thursday and Friday of the Classic. Contestants are required to check in at one of these locations as tournament hats are required during fishing hours. If known, preferred check in location should be indicated on registration form. Any changes made over the course of the weekend will be posted on the Phelps Wisconsin Facebook page.

• All contestants must have a valid Wisconsin fishing license and abide by Wisconsin fishing regulations.

• All persons in the boat must be entered in the Classic. Boats are not limited to two people.

• Any disqualifications will be determined by the tournament officials. Their decision is final.

• Any problems, complaints, or rule interpretations must be brought to the attention of tournament officials prior to the awarding of prizes.

• No trolling. According to the Wisconsin administrative code, “troll” or “trolling” means fishing by trailing any lure, bait or similar device that may be used to attract or catch fish from a boat propelled by a means other than drifting, pedaling, paddling or rowing. Casting and immediate retrieval of a bait, lure, or similar device while the motor is running (or “position fishing”) is not considered trolling.

• Please remember that the judge boats are volunteers that are crucial to making this tournament possible. Please be polite.