Central Wisconsin Lake To Host National Bass Fishing Tournament

A national bass tournament is expected to bring thousands of visitors and millions of dollars into central Wisconsin this summer.

It will be the first time the Bassmaster College Series National Championship takes place in the north, according to Jason Hawksford of the Big Dawg Fishing Club. The club is a University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point fishing group that helped net the tournament.

“Bass fishing itself is very strong in the south and that’s where the majority of tournaments take place,” said Hawksford. “They contacted us to pursue having the college championships hosted for the first time on a northern body of water.”

Lake DuBay was chosen because it’s near the campus.

The event, slated for July 9-11, is expected to attract 10,000 visitors and inject $2.7 million into the region, according to Sara Brish of the Stevens Point Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“This gives us an opportunity to put the area on a national platform, with our marketing efforts promoting the area as a hotbed for outdoor recreation, including fishing,” said Brish.

The tournament will be televised on ESPN.