26th annual KC Walleye Classic brings anglers, fundraising to Bemidji
The KC Walleye Classic filled 100 teams and kept its 26-year fundraising run alive, sending money back into Bemidji through beneficiaries such as All Pro Dads.
The 26th annual KC Walleye Classic again put Bemidji’s lakes to work for the community, with 200 anglers on 100 teams fishing Lake Bemidji and Lake Irving while organizers said the tournament remained one of the state’s biggest charitable fishing events. The field was full, but a wait list stayed open at no cost, underscoring how much demand the Knights of Columbus event still draws after 26 years.
Organized by Knights of Columbus, Bemidji Council #1544, and authorized and permitted by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the tournament ran from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 13. The action began at the Lake Bemidji waterfront and wrapped with a public celebration at the Sanford Center, where the boat parade was set for the afternoon and the top 10 reveal was scheduled for about 6 p.m.
What keeps the KC Walleye Classic relevant in Beltrami County is not just the fishing, but the money it sends back into the community. Organizers have long described the event as a major charitable fundraiser, and beneficiaries include All Pro Dads. The tournament also drives local spending around Bemidji, with raffle tickets sold at businesses including Acme Tools, Lueken’s Village Foods, Northwoods Bait & Tackle, Ace on the Lake, Ray’s Sport & Marine and Timberline Sports in Blackduck.
The event’s size has helped give it staying power. Lakeland PBS has described it as the largest charitable fishing tournament in Minnesota, a claim reinforced by the tournament’s scale and by the way it pulls together amateur and professional anglers from across Minnesota and beyond. That reach matters locally because the money, volunteer effort and attention stay tied to Bemidji rather than drifting to a larger metro market.
The classic has also built a history that keeps anglers coming back. In 2024, Kamin Pierce and Darren Roth, then 20 and 21, became the youngest duo ever to win the tournament. In 2025, Blackduck father-daughter team Ryan Klein and Kennedy Klein took the championship, with a prize package that totaled $43,835, including $42,550 in cash and $1,285 in other goods. The first-place prize that year was $15,000, and Sam McSharry won the Big Fish Award.
The tournament’s record of unusual winners, local tie-ins and charitable returns has made it more than a weekend competition. After 26 years, the KC Walleye Classic still channels anglers, sponsors and spectators into a Bemidji tradition with a direct civic payoff.
This article was produced by Prism’s automated news system from verified source data, official records, and press releases, then run through automated quality and moderation checks before publishing. The system is built and supervised by the people who set the standards it runs under. Read our full AI policy.
Did this article answer your question?
