This is a length-based fishing event to be held in Cold Lake, Alberta. Refer to the map attached to this event for the official boundaries.
The 2026 Flight Ice Fishing Derby - is an online event run through Angler’s Atlas website and the mobile app MyCatch. The app is available for both iOS (Apple App Store) and Android (Google Play Store).
Anyone can participate in the 2026 Flight Ice Fishing Derby - and it is for all ages. For those participants sharing a mobile device, participants must login to their own account to submit their catches
There is a $110.00 registration fee for Adults and a $50.00 fee for Youth (15 & under) to enter the event.
Anglers 15 and younger must be fishing with an adult.
Each contestant must have a valid Alberta fishing license or otherwise be exempt from needing one.
Catches must be submitted through the MyCatch app for approval.
In order for catches to be sent properly, you must use the same login email and password for both the Angler’s Atlas website and the MyCatch app.
Contestants must register for this event through the Angler’s Atlas website or the MyCatch app. We recommend anglers practice using the app before the event begins. Here is a link to some helpful videos to familiarize yourself with the app.
You will receive an automatic email confirming that you have entered the event and that your payment has gone through.
If you enter after the event starts, you must wait 1 hour before you can submit a fish for entry.
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.
Eligible species include only Lake Trout. For this event, Catch and Release is mandatory.
Recognize fish species using the following information: https://mywildalberta.ca/fishing/fish-species.aspx
In order for each catch to qualify, a photograph of the fish on a measuring device must be taken using the MyCatch app (ie. photos cannot be uploaded from a photo gallery or other source).
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 details below.
This is a total length measurement event, not fork length. The total length of a fish is measured from the tip of the nose or jaw to the tip of the tail (see picture below). The tail can be naturally pinched to the width of the measuring board.
Each fish must be entered only once. Fish should be entered as soon as possible after catching and catches must be recorded at the fishing site.
The nose of the fish must be at the start or zero mark on all measuring devices.
The entry photo must be taken from a birds-eye view looking down on the fish.
The mouth is allowed to be open, closed, or anywhere in between, so long as the fish meets the other above requirements.
All fish must be measured with the right side down.
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.
For this event you must measure your fish entry on only a commercially produced bumpboard only and these rules must be followed:
The nose of the fish must be visibly touching the bump end of the board;
The fish must be placed on top of the board;
The entire fish showing the head and tail must be visible in the measurement photo. We must also see past the head and tail in the photo.
Expandable (sliding) bump boards may not be allowed if the fish passes the expandable section.
Sliding/Expandable Bump boards will be allowed if it can be shown in the length submission photo that the board is fully extended
If an entry submission comes in where a measuring rule is not followed, 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 set penalty amount will be 5 cm or 2 inches or multiples of. The entry may also be rejected.
Fish will be approved for length only to the last physical mark crossed. Event organizers reserve the right to adjust entries.
Event organizers reserve the right to adjust entries. They also have the right to ask for a picture sent to them of your measuring device.
The events approval team reviews and judges all fish. Once a submission has been approved, it will appear on the appropriate leaderboard(s). Entries will not show up immediately after you sync them.
During the entry process, a second photo, called the Hero Shot, consisting of the angler holding the fish, will be prompted in the entry procedure and is optional but encouraged for this event.
A third option you will be prompted for is a video of the release of your fish and this is also optional but encouraged for this event.
The app will work even when out of cell range, however for catches to qualify they must be synced with Angler’s Atlas server. To learn how to submit a catch into the event you can watch this MyCatch video for more information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS65wMakQHA
Event boundaries include all of Cold Lake Alberta including the Saskatchewan side. See the map attached to this event
The event runs from Saturday January 24, 2026 starting at 8:00:00 am Mountain time through 4:00:00 pm Mountain time.
All entries must be synched up by January 24, 2026 by 5:00 pm Mountain time in order to qualify. (this is to allow catches to be uploaded once anglers are back in service)
At the discretion of the event director, event days may be shortened, postponed or canceled due to unsafe weather or water conditions.
Prizes - Prizes for the event will be distributed in accordance with the prizing categories below.
Adult Category:
1st Place Longest Fish wins $2000
2nd Place Longest Fish wins $1000
3rd Place Longest Fish wins $500
Youth Category:
1st Place Longest Fish wins $200
2nd Place Longest Fish wins $150
3rd Place Longest Fish wins $100
Cash prize amounts are based on a full field of 250 anglers. If the event doesn’t fill, the payout percentages for each paid position will remain the same but may be adjusted according to the number of paid participants.
Fish DO NOT show up on any of the leaderboards until they have been approved by the Organizer’s 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.
A participant can only win one prize placing per prize category.
In the case of a tie, the tie break will go to the first fish recorded by time. If a tie still exists, the tie break will go to the person with the highest number of fish reported.
Awards will be announced after a review process on or by Monday January 26th, 2026 and anglers will be contacted directly using the contact information provided in the event registration process. Cash prizes are awarded through e transfer or check. Prizes will be paid out at the end of the event after judging is completed.
Anglers have up to 60 days OR March 31, 2026 to claim their prize. Anglers that do not claim their prize within this period forfeit their prize.
By registering and participating in the event, all participants agree to abide by the rules and regulations they have received as set out in this 2026 Flight Ice Fishing Derby event rules.
This event is catch and release ONLY. Harvesting fish will result in disqualification.
All fish entered for this event must be caught via angling i.e. using hook, line, rod and reel. Fish caught by non angling (i.e. use of traps, trap nets or cages) is not permitted. Usage of a landing net to land a hooked fish is allowed.
Anglers can only submit catches that they have caught themselves. This is an individual event, so you cannot enter as a partnership or team. Anglers are free to fish alone or with other event or non-event anglers, but each registered angler may only enter their own fish.
To ensure the best chances of survival for the fish, all participants are to handle fish safely. Blatant abuse to fish or the resource is a reason for disqualification.
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.
All federal, provincial and local laws must be abided by.
Promoters and organizers assisting in the event 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 event 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 event. The contact for this event is The Event Organizer and can be reached by email at [email protected]
The interpretation and enforcement of the rules is at the sole discretion of the Organizer. The event 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 events. All decisions made by the event Organizer are final.
Abuse of event officials and volunteers will not be tolerated.
Any angler found to be cheating will be disqualified from the event. Angler’s Atlas also reserves the right to ban anglers from competing in future events.
In the event of disqualification, any paid entry fees will be forfeited and not refunded.
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 event. Their decision will be final in all cases. A $100.00 dollar protest fee may need to accompany the protest. The fee will be returned if the protest is found to be valid.
All rules have loopholes. It is our intention to provide an honest sportsmanlike event. 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 could be disqualified.
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 Angler's Atlas or our event partners for future use.
The following are not rules - they are simply a reference to best practices of handling fish.
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.
Whenever feasible, keep the fish in the water while handling as long as possible
Measure fish inside tents or ice shacks whenever possible, especially when temperatures dip below -10 degrees celsius
Cut the line as close to the hook as possible if a swallowed hook can’t be easily removed
Have the camera ready prior to landing fish to minimize air exposure
Hold large fish horizontally and support its body to avoid damage to the internal organs
Do not hold or support the fish by its gills, gill covers or eyes.
Use wet hands when handling a fish. Handle the fish quickly and as little as possible.
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.
When releasing a fish, never throw it into the water.
“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]).
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