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Fishing Contests

Come experience authentic fun all year-round in the Houghton Lake Area with these 3 fun new outdoor contests! All you need to do is enjoy fishing or hunting in Houghton Lake, Higgins Lake or Lake St. Helen!

“REEL CATCH!” Contest – running March 16, 2025 – December 31, 2025. Anglers will win a special collectible item and T-shirt for catching a yellow tagged fish in Houghton Lake, Lake St. Helen, or Higgins Lake.
“BIG CATCH” Contest - running June, July, and August 2025. The largest designated fish (by length) by each lake in each month will be awarded a special plaque and T-shirt. No fish tag needed.
“FOWL PLAY” Contest running September-Dec, 2025. Hunters shooting a banded duck or goose in Roscommon County during official hunting season will win a beautiful wooden handcrafted duck call, a Ducks Unlimited metal band, and a T-shirt.

See full contest details below! We look forward to seeing you in the Houghton Lake Area!

Title area

1. Have fun with family and friends while fishing our beautiful lakes in Roscommon County! New yellow tagged fish are released every year in all three lakes! Currently over 600 tagged fish are swimming about!
2. Open to all ages!
3. There is no entry fee.
4. State of Michigan Fishing rules will apply.
5. Limit of ONE fish collectible per species per year per individual.
6. Fish Houghton Lake, Higgins Lake or Lake St. Helen between March 16, 2025, through December 31, 2025.
7. If you catch a yellow tagged fish, you win! Take the tagged fish to Lyman’s on the Lake in Houghton Lake, the Minnow Bucket at Exit 222 in St. Helen, or The Sports Barn in Higgins Lake for verification (or other locations specified by the Houghton Lake Area Tourism Bureau). A verification form must be filled out and signed to be eligible for the prize.

8. You must take a picture of you with your fish and text it to 989-965-1471 (Alma Lou Crossley at Houghton Lake Area Tourism Bureau).
9. All decisions relating to the fishing contest by the Houghton Lake Area
Tourism Bureau will be final.
10. Anyone disobeying the rules will be disqualified.
11. All contest rules are subject to modification or revision by the Houghton Lake Area Tourism Bureau.
12. All prize winners will be contacted directly by phone/email (by the
information they provided on their verification form) by the Houghton Lake Area Tourism Bureau once their personalized gift is complete and ready to be delivered. For questions on status please call the office at 1-800-676-5330.

1. Have fun with family and friends while fishing our beautiful lakes in
Roscommon County!
2. Open to all ages!
3. There is no entry fee.
4. State of Michigan Fishing rules will apply.

5. Fish Houghton Lake, Higgins Lake or Lake St. Helen in the months of June, July, and/or August in 2025. Catch the specified fish designated by the lake and month and take it to the designated bait shop to enter it into the “Big Catch” contest
6. If you catch the specificized fish designated for the month by each lake, take it to get measured and verified by Lyman’s on the Lake (for Houghton Lake), the Minnow Bucket at Exit 222 (for Lake St. Helen) , or The Sports Barn (for Higgins Lake). A verification form must be filled out and signed to be eligible for any prize.
7. You must take a picture of you and your fish and text it to 989-965-1471
(Alma Lou Crossley at Houghton Lake Area Tourism Bureau). You will be
notified at the end of the month if your fish was the “BIG CATCH”
WINNER of the month.
8. All decisions relating to the fishing contest by the Houghton Lake Area
Tourism Bureau will be final.
9. Anyone disobeying the rules will be disqualified.
10. All contest rules are subject to modification or revision by the Houghton Lake Area Tourism Bureau.
11. All prize winners will be contacted directly by phone/email (by the
information they provided on their verification form) by the Houghton Lake Area Tourism Bureau once their personalized gift is complete and ready to be delivered. For questions on status please call the office at 1-800-676- 5330.

	Houghton Lake – LYMAN’S ON THE LAKE	Lake St. Helen – THE MINNOW BUCKET ON EXIT 222	Higgins Lake – THE SPORTS BARN
June	Walleye	Bluegill	Lake Trout
July	Sunfish	Bass (S/L)	Rock Bass
August	Bass (S/L)	Northern Pike	Northern Pike

1. If you shoot a banded duck or goose in Roscommon County you win!
2. There is no entry fee.
3. All Federal and State of Michigan Hunting rules will apply
4. There will be one prize per hunter per season.
5. Hunt in Roscommon County during official Hunting Season (September 2025 through December 31, 2025)
6. Report your tagged fowl by going to www.reportband.gov or visit a local DNR office, or contact the DNR directly.
7. Take a printed copy or screenshot with your fowl report to Lyman’s on the Lake in Houghton Lake, the Minnow Bucket at exit 222 in St. Helen, or The Sports Barn in Higgins Lake for verification. A verification form must be filled out and signed to be eligible for the prize.
8. You must take a picture of you and your fowl and text it to 989-965-1471 (Alma Lou Crossley at Houghton Lake Area Tourism Bureau).

9. All decisions relating to the hunting contest by the Houghton Lake Area
Tourism Bureau will be final.
10. Anyone disobeying the rules will be disqualified.
11. All contest rules are subject to modification or revision by the Houghton Lake Area Tourism Bureau.
12. All prize winners will be contacted directly by phone/email (by the
information they provided on their verification form) by the Houghton Lake Area Tourism Bureau once their personalized gift is complete and ready to be delivered. For questions on status please call the office at 1-800-676- 5330.