For the first time since 2013, Sault Ste. Marie and the St. Marys River system will be rejoining the circuit on the popular Northern Ontario Walleye Trail next year.
Comprised of seven sanctioned tournaments and close to 900 anglers from across the north, the NOWT awards points to competitors based on their finishes at each event. The angler who finishes with the most points by the end of the circuit is named ‘Angler of the Year.’
Excited for his hometown’s return to the circuit is NOWT president Shane Turcotte, who says the ‘St. Marys River Walleye Cup’ is the ideal venue for a tournament.
“The Sault’s a great market,” he says. “A lot has changed on the NOWT since the tournament was run here. We’re a lot bigger and a lot more successful now. The timing is perfect to come back to the Sault, and there’s a lot more avid anglers too.”
Partnering with the Algoma Fish and Game Club, the NOWT has been active for more than 20 years and currently hosts seven tournaments across the north:
- Mattagami Lake First Nations Walleye Tournament
- Dubreuilville Magpie Walleye Derby
- Geraldton Walleye Classic
- Longlac Walleye Masters
- Kapuskasing River Walleye Tournament
- Hearst Walleye Challenge
- Mattagami Fall Classic Walleye
“From a northern Ontario community standpoint, a lot of these anglers are in small communities, so bringing a tournament to the Sault is another opportunity to come to a bigger city, bring their families, and enjoy the city itself,” Turcotte says. “We have an incredible fishery here, and it fishes a little bit different than some of the other venues on the circuit.”
Running from Sept. 6-7 next year, the St. Marys River Walleye Cup will be the site of the NOWT finale for the 2024 circuit.
Turcotte says the Sault is also looking into hosting the NOWT Championship in 2025 or 2026, where the circuit’s top 25 anglers battle it out for an $85,000 boat package.
“It’s great exposure for the Sault and the system itself,” he says. “The NOWT is all about conservation, so all the fish are weighed in water and released back into the system – we do not kill fish. This is all about promoting and exposing our system while leaving the system the way we found it.”