The best walleye anglers in the nation are coming to Otter Tail Lake to compete in the 2021 National Walleye Tour Championship (NWT) Sept. 22-24. The top 40 pro-anglers and top 40 co-anglers had to qualify for the event during the NWT regular season.

The public is welcome to attend the daily weigh-ins Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at Beach Bums (35776 Co Hwy 72) on Otter Tail Lake at 3 p.m. There will be a free youth fishing clinic on Thursday, Sept. 23 at 3:30 p.m. and the first 100 kids will get a free fishing rod and t-shirt.

“We thought this event would make a great bookend to a very busy summer,” said Erik Osberg, Rural Rebound Initiative Coordinator for Otter Tail County.  “We started the fishing season with the Governor’s Fishing Opener and what better way to finish it than by having the best walleye anglers visit and compete for the right to be called ‘Angler of the Year’.”

Fishing will begin at 7 a.m each day on Otter Tail Lake and conclude at 3 p.m. Once again, the public is invited to watch the weigh-ins each day at Beach Bums. The field will be trimmed from 40 boats to 10 boats on the Friday, the final day. Each boat is allowed to bring in five fish. Once the fish have been weighed, they will be released back into Otter Tail Lake.

Otter Tail Lakes Country Association is sponsoring the event. The NWT invites the public to attend the weigh-ins or view live stream action at nationalwalleyetour.com.