The Michigan Brown Trout Festival began in 1975, and is still going strong. Located on the waters of Thunder Bay in Alpena, Michigan, we are one of Michigan's best freshwater fishing tournament, and the longest running fishing tournament in the Great Lakes. We are run by a few dedicated volunteers and the entire volunteer community of Alpena and surrounding areas.
Over the course of the 10-day festival anglers can enjoy several different fishing tournaments including the one-day Lafarge Super Tournament, the Jack Daniels Ladies Classic, our Walleye Extravaganza, and more! But if you just want to spend a few days enjoying the great fishing Thunder Bay has to offer, we have daily prizes for the largest fish, and our tournament long leaderboard for Brown Trout, Walleye, Steelhead, Salmon, and Lake Trout.
Fishing isn’t the only thing the Brown Trout Festival has to offer though! Come visit us on any day, and you're sure to find something you'll love! We have daily and nightly events throughout the festival - Whether it's listening to the sounds of Michigan bands, striking up conversation with locals in our beer tent, taking your kids to the Family Fun Day, or watching the fish weigh-in, you'll be sure to have a great time!
What you can do here
Catch Fish, View Active Fishery
A video documentary about the Michigan Brown Trout Festival hosted each summer in Alpena, Mich. | Info | |
Memories of the Brown Trout Festival from fisherman Jim Leesberg. | Info | |
In 2017 a pair of local people caught an elusive fish worth 25,000 dollars. | Info |