Minnesota Moms Fishing Challenge May 10th and 11th

As the ice retreats and the waters of Minnesota awaken, a unique and spirit­ed competition is on the horizon: the annu­al Minnesota Moms Fishing Challenge, set to take place May 10 and 11 this year. Not your typical high-stakes tournament; it celebrates mother­hood, angling, and the sheer joy of spending time on our beautiful lakes and rivers.

The Minnesota DNR writes, “This year, like every year on Moth­er’s Day weekend, all moms across Minne­sota can fish for free without a license. And, for the third year in a row, moms who want even more fun can take part in the online Min­nesota Moms Fishing Challenge!”

The 2025 Challenge is a collaboration be­tween the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR), Student Angler Orga­nization (SAO), and Women Anglers of Minnesota (WAM).

To participate, moms simply need to join the 2025 Minnesota Moms Fishing Chal­lenge Facebook group, which should be ac­tive today. On opening weekend, they sub­mit one photo of each fish caught on May 10 and 11. Participants who submit a fish pic­ture are entered in a random drawing for prizes provided by the SAO and its partners.

The SAO is a non­profit organization dedicated to increas­ing fishing opportu­nities and promoting environmental aware­ness among students, youth, and schools. It organizes fishing tour­naments and virtual leagues. It provides fi­nancial aid opportuni­ties for student anglers, educational programs related to fishing and the environment, and facilitates mentoring of new young anglers. Its goal is to create a lifelong passion for the outdoors in young people. See their web­site, studentangler.org.

WAM started in 1977. While fishing at the 7th Annual Musk­ie’s, Inc. tournament, the group’s seven founding moms pon­dered whether more women like them enjoyed fishing and wanted to learn more about it, as well as how to steward the environ­ment to ensure fishing for future generations. The club was formed to educate, empower, and support women learning the sport of angling.

Women Anglers of Minnesota hosts fish­ing 101 webinars. The first, on trout fishing, is at 6:30 pm, Tuesday, May 6. The second, on shore and lake fish­ing, takes place at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 8. The webinars take place in the Challenge Facebook group.

This is the third year the DNR and its partners have hosted the Minnesota Moms Fishing Challenge. Details are at mndnr.gov/takemomfishing. Last year, more than 3,000 Minnesota moms participated, catching 1,500 fish.

The focus of the Challenge isn’t solely on landing the biggest catch, although brag­ging rights are certain­ly a bonus. Instead, the challenge fosters a sense of community among fishing moms, promotes the sport, and the importance of outdoor recreation for families.

For many Minneso­ta moms, May marks the true beginning of the outdoor season. The Minnesota Fish­ing Moms Challenge offers a fantastic op­portunity to make the most of this time, con­nect with nature, and reel in a trophy or two.