This tournament supports the work of Age Friendly Cold Lake whose mission it is to provide a variety of programs and services to help seniors in our community. So, we thank you for your support of this tournament and we hope you land the biggest fish Cold Lake has ever seen! Good luck!
This is a Catch, Photo, Record, Release fishing tournament A contestant caught breaking this rule or any others will be disqualified and entry fee will not be refunded.
This event is to be held on Cold Lake in its entirety. No other lake will be permitted to be fished. Refer to the map attached to this event for the official boundaries. It is the angler’s responsibility to know and understand the boundary for this event.
The tournament will be run using the MyCatch mobile app, which is a property of Angler’s Atlas.
Registration for this event is capped at 400 anglers. Registration is only able to support individual registration. For those participants sharing a mobile device, participants must login to their own account to submit their catches through the manage accounts feature.
The Adult (16 & over) entry fee is $150.00 + taxes and the Youth (15 & under) entry fee is $50.00 + taxes.
All youth 15 and younger must be fishing with an adult. Youth entry fees are applicable for all aged 15 and under. Youth entries compete for only youth prizing.
Each contestant must have a valid Alberta or Saskatchewan fishing license, or otherwise be exempt from needing one (if you need a license to fish recreationally, you need a license to fish the tournament). For fishing, all participants must follow the general sportfishing regulations
Anglers may record fish between 12:01 am Friday February 20, 2026, to 3:00 pm Sunday February 22, 2026.
Keep mobile phones on throughout the tournament in order to receive communication from the Organizer in the event of postponement or cancellation. Due to the nature of tournament fishing, no refunds will be issued. This is at the discretion of your tournament Organizer.
Anyone can participate in the 2026 Cold Lake Ice Fishing Tournament and it is for all ages. Registration is only able to support individual registration. For those participants sharing a mobile device, participants must login to their own account to submit their catches through the manage accounts feature.
In order for catches to be sent in properly, you must use the same login email and password for both the Angler’s Atlas website and the MyCatch app.
Anglers will need to download and use the free MyCatch app (available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store) to submit their fish entries for the tournament. For first time users, you must set up your account first. To do this, please complete the following: https://www.anglersatlas.com/sign-up If you previously have had the app, we suggest doing a check to see if there are updates or simply reload the app.
Anglers must then also register and pay the entry fee for the tournament online at 2026 Cold Lake Ice Fishing Tournament | Angler's Atlas (anglersatlas.com using a credit card or PayPal. You cannot pay via cash or eTransfer, and your spot is not reserved until payment has been received. If you need help with the registration process, please watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7o3PzcIoGo4
You will receive an automatic email confirming that you have entered the event and that your payment has gone through.
Due to the nature of tournament fishing, there will be no refunds, no exceptions. If an angler cannot make the tournament, it is the angler’s responsibility to sell the registration, handle the transfer of funds, and contact Angler’s Atlas ([email protected]) to have the registration name transferred to the new registrant. No transfers will be allowed in the final 7 days before the start of the event.
Practice using the MyCatch app ahead of time
Watch all four videos available at this link to familiarize yourself with the app: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1Yp9OqZ6saBgaKklT5jh6DkuTbai3NeJ
Test the app before you go out fishing (note: the app allows you to record fish for your own personal logbook while not in an active event. Some features will appear slightly different when you are not in an active event, so please make sure you watch the YouTube videos at the link above).
By participating in this event your name may be publicly visible.
Protecting anglers’ privacy is a priority, and any location data collected during the event will not be released to the public. Our promise to anglers is “Secret Fishing Spots Stay Secret”. See below for further details.
A great resource to refer to is our How To Register For An Event video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7o3PzcIoGo4&t=8s
Once an angler has registered for the event, you must also then submit a Waiver of Liability form The Waiver of Liability is available on the official Angler’s Atlas Cold Lake Ice Fishing Tournament page below.
This completed form must be emailed to: [email protected]
This is a Catch, Photo, Record, Release event for Lake Trout only tournament, no other species will be permitted. As per Schedule A below # 21 a "Cold Lake - a daily maximum of three (3) Lake Trout may be entered for judging purposes only and must be released in a manner to maximize survival." Only your daily top 3 fish will be judged.
Recognize fish species using the information here: https://mywildalberta.ca/fishing/fish-species.aspx
During the tournament, anglers must submit all their fish via the MyCatch app. You cannot submit fish for this event any other way, and the photos MUST be taken in the app. Our app now tags each entry with a unique QR code.
All contestants must have GPS/location services enabled on your cell phone for their catches to qualify. Your location data will be protected. For more information, see section 8 below for details.
Each fish must be entered only once.
Fish must be recorded immediately after they’ve been caught and released following a successful entry submission on the app . All fish entries must be freshly caught. Frozen fish will be rejected.
This is a total length measurement tournament. NOT fork length. See pic below for reference. The total length of a fish is measured from the tip of the nose or jaw to the tip of the tail with the tail naturally pinched. The tail may be pinched to the width of the board or left unpinched.
All catches will be approved to the last physical line on a measuring device. If it extends past a mark but there are no physical lines to confirm the true length, the last mark it crosses will be used. If a fish is longer than the angler's bump board, the longest measurement on the board will be counted.
The nose of the fish must be at the start or zero mark on all measuring devices and the total length is taken where the longest length of the tail crosses the measurements on the measuring device..
The mouth of the fish is allowed to be closed, open, or anywhere in between, so long as the upper and/or lower jaw of the head of the fish is clearly touching the bump of the board or at 0 cm and the fish submission meets all of the requirements outlined in this section.
There are to be no fingers placed in the gills or mouth of the fish. Any fingers in the gills or mouth of the fish will disqualify that fish. This rule applies to the Measurement photo only (not the release video)
The photo entry must be taken from a birds-eye view looking down on the fish.
All fish must be measured with the right side down (the right side of the fish must be facing down or touching the board) and the left side of the fish facing upwards.
Anglers can only submit catches that they have caught themselves. This is an individual tournament, so you cannot enter as a partnership or team, and under no circumstances can you share fish with any other angler. Anglers are free to fish alone or with other tournament or non-tournament anglers, but each registered angler may only enter their own fish on their own app.
For this event, you MUST use a commercially available bump board for your measurements (no measuring tapes, no homemade boards). If you are unsure about your board being legal, please reach out to [email protected] for verification. Commonly used boards include the Judge Tournament Ruler and the Alberta Bumpboard but other commercially available boards are acceptable. No sliding / expandable measuring boards will be allowed.
If an entry submission comes in where a measuring rule is not followed, such as the nose is not touching the bump or at the zero mark, the fish may still be approved but a length penalty will be applied. The penalty will apply to the observable length of the fish at the discretion of the Organizer. The entry may also be rejected.
Tournament organizers reserve the right to adjust entries. They also have the right to ask for a picture sent to them of your measuring device.
A photo that does not clearly show the overall length of the fish, including head and tail, on the measuring device WILL NOT BE SCORED. More than one attempt to get a valid scoring photo is allowed. The app will prompt you to either accept the photo or retake a photo.
All entries must include the measurement photo in accordance with the rules outlined above.
During the entry process, you will also be prompted with an option to upload a video which for this event is a video of the release of your fish and this is also required for this event.
During the event, the app will work without WiFi or any or strong cell service. If you submit a fish without any or strong enough service, the app will tell you that the fish has been recorded, and that it will sync up to the server once you return to service. Every fish you log (whether in good service or not) will appear in your app’s Log View (2nd icon from the left at the bottom). If you have fish “awaiting sync,” it will indicate this here. The submissions will eventually come through on their own once you return to service, but you can help speed up the process by “manually syncing” those pending logs (see how here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU-AwLc8OLY) once you’re in service. The logs are time/date/location stamped to the moment that they were taken, so even if the submission is delayed, the time on that submission will still be accurate.
Fish DO NOT show up on any of the leaderboards until they have been approved by the My Catch Approvals Team, so don’t expect to see them reflected on the leaderboard immediately. If you want to ensure that your fish was recorded successfully, check the Log View of your app (2nd icon from the left at the bottom). If your fish is there, it logged successfully.
IMPORTANT: Arguing against or trying to attribute reason as to why any of the above rules could not be followed will have ZERO bearing on the ruling of a rejected fish. NO exceptions will be made. It is on the angler to review their photo thoroughly and submit an acceptable photo based on the above rules.
A great resource is the MyCatch video that shows how to complete an entry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS65wMakQHA
Tournament boundaries are within the water body of Cold Lake. See the map attached to this event
The tournament runs from:
Friday, February 20, 2026 starting at 12:01 am through to
Sunday, February 22, 2026 at 3:00 pm
All applicants must have their fish submitted before 4:00 pm on Sunday February 22, 2026. It is the applicant’s duty to ensure they have full cell service and all fish are synced before the deadline. Any fish synced to the app after 4:00 pm will not be judged.
Once the tournament concludes, a full review process will begin between the MyCatch Approvals Team and the Tournament Organizer. Results will not be confirmed, announced, or made public until the morning of Monday, February 23, 2026, and no prizes will be awarded or collected until after the winner’s announcement has been made. Following this review process, the results will be final.
At the discretion of the tournament director, tournament days may be shortened, postponed or canceled due to unsafe weather or ice conditions.
Prizes for the tournament will be distributed as prizes in accordance with the prizing categories below. (All prizes based on registrations and fundraising)
Grand Prize (Longest fish of the tournament)
Adult - $5,000
Youth - $200
Second Place Prize (Second longest fish of the tournament)
Adult - $2,000
Youth - $175
Third Place Prize (Third longest fish of the tournament)
Adult - $1,000
Youth - $150
Fourth Place Prize (Fourth longest fish of the tournament)
Adult - $800
Youth – $75
Fifth Place Prize (Fifth longest fish of the tournament)
Adult - $700
Youth - $50
Best Three Fish Prize (Combined length of a fisherman’s three best fish) - $1,000
TOTAL CASH PRIZES = $11 150
Fred Bamber Award (non-cash prize - all anglers receive one entry)
Daily Prizes – (Longest fish of the day)
Friday Adult – non-cash prize
Friday Youth – non-cash prize
Saturday Adult – non-cash prize
Saturday Youth – non-cash prize
Sunday Adult – non-cash prize
Sunday Youth – non-cash prize
Wild Card Prizes – All anglers receive one entry TOTAL CASH VALUE OF WILDCARD PRIZES DEPENDS ON DONATIONS
a. All wildcard prizes will be awarded at the Cold Lake Marina office throughout the tournament and announced on the official Cold Lake Ice Fishing Tournament page each day of the tournament. Wildcard prizes must be picked up before 3 pm on Sunday, February 22, 2026. If not claimed, wildcard prizes will be redrawn. All cash prizes will be mailed to winners in the form of a cheque.
Total value of all prizes = Over $20,000 (based on 2025 prizes)
In the case of a tie, the tie break will go to the person who entered the tied fish first. If a tie still exists, the tie break will go to the person with the next largest fish submitted.
By registering and participating in the 2026 Cold Lake Ice Fishing tournament, all participants agree to abide by the rules and regulations they have received as set out in these tournament event rules.
This tournament is catch and release ONLY.
This is a mandatory barbless tournament. There will be spot checks made throughout the tournament by tournament officials and if an angler is caught using a barbed hook they will be immediately disqualified, and entry fees will not be refunded
All fish entered for this event must be caught via angling i.e. using hook, line, rod and reel including tip ups. At no time will fish caught by non angling (i.e. use of traps, trap nets or cages) be allowed to be entered. Fish cannot be snagged, netted, speared etc. Usage of a landing net to land a hooked fish is allowed. All participants must only use up to a maximum of 2 rods while ice fishing.
Fish finders are allowed in the tournament.
Each contestant must have in their possession a valid fishing license for their respective jurisdiction or be exempt under regulations of their jurisdiction.
Each contestant must conform to the general sport fishing rules and regulations that are in place for the jurisdiction in which they are fishing. You must follow all regulations pertaining to possession limits.
All federal, provincial, local laws must be abided by.
Promoters and organizers assisting in the tournament operation are not responsible for death, injury, damage, liability, theft, fire or any loss to any contestants.
All questions or concerns relating to the rules of this tournament are to be referred to the Organizer. Their decision will be final in all cases. No other person can be considered a spokesman for the rules during the tournament. The contact for this event is The MyCatch Approval team and can be reached by email at [email protected] (please include the name of the event in your email).
The interpretation and enforcement of the rules is at the sole discretion of the Organizer aided by their committee and/or Angler’s Atlas representatives. The tournament Organizer may change rules or impose sanctions as they deem appropriate, including but not limited to disqualifications, forfeiture of prizes, and prohibition from competing in future tournaments. All decisions made by the tournament Organizer are final.
Abuse of tournament officials and volunteers will not be tolerated.
Any angler found to be cheating, breaking the law or disobeying the rules will be disqualified from the tournament. Failure to comply with any tournament rules subjects participants to disqualification and removal from the tournament, as determined by the tournament officials. The right to refuse sale and/or revoke a competition entry to anyone is hereby reserved. Angler’s Atlas also reserves the right to ban anglers from competing in future events.
All protests must be brought to the Organizer’s attention before the end of the tournament. Any contestant has the right to make a protest against another contestant by contacting an Organizer through email and must be completed and presented within 1 hour of the close of the tournament. Their decision will be final in all cases. A $150.00 dollar protest fee may need to accompany the protest. The fee will be returned if the protest is found to be valid.
In the event of disqualification, any paid entry fees will be forfeited and not refunded.
All rules have loopholes. It is our intention to provide an honest sportsmanlike tournament. In the interest of good sportsmanship, contestants are reminded the spirit of the rule will prevail in all judgments.
All participants are expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety, and conservation. Any participant who displays poor sportsmanship, violates these rules, or brings unfavorable publicity to the sport of fishing in Cold Lake could be disqualified. Encroachment is considered a sportsmanship rule.
Participants are responsible for their own safety, actions, and property at all times.
This is an ice fishing event only. Practice ice safety at all times! Fishing is only allowed on a minimum of at least 4 inches of ice. Only walk and fish where it is safe to do so.
All photo and video submissions may be used by MyCatch by Angler's Atlas and Age Friendly for future use.
We highly encourage conservation and the proper handling of all fish caught. To ensure the best chances of survival for all released fish, all participants are to handle fish safely.
Handle the fish quickly and as little as possible.
Do not hold or support the fish by its gills, gill covers or eyes.
A fish's eyes and gills can freeze when exposed to sub-zero temperatures. Ice on the eyes or in the gills may be a reason for disqualification.
Whenever possible, keep the fish in the water while handling.
Wet your boards/rulers prior to measuring fish in cold conditions to help prevent freezing the fish to the board, especially if you are using an Angler's Atlas, Judge or other aluminum/metal boards
Measure fish inside tents or ice shacks whenever possible, especially when temperatures dip below -10 degrees celsius
“Secret Fishing Spots Stay Secret” — This is our primary commitment to anglers who report their catches through MyCatch. So what does this mean in practice?
Angler’s Atlas does not release MyCatch GPS data to the public. It is treated as confidential and is provided to fisheries researchers under strict conditions.
Every research team we work with must sign a data sharing agreement that sets the terms of use for the data.
Data is anonymized before it is provided to the researcher.
Researchers agree not to share the data with anyone else.
Researchers cannot use the data for any purpose other than the research specified in the agreement.
Exact location data cannot be published as part of the scientific research. Instead, it has to be generalized to a larger region so the location cannot be reverse engineered.
Angler’s Atlas may release data to a law enforcement agency if compelled to do so under court order.
These data privacy rules are designed to protect our angler’s private data, to conserve the fisheries, and to make sure we maintain a trusting relationship with our anglers into the future. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to reach out to Angler’s Atlas President directly by email ([email protected]).
CFE Particulars - Schedule A
Events 
Places 
Fish 
Research 
Sign in 
New Catch Log 
New Trip Log 
