The Fort Peck Pike Pool is not sanctioned by the state’s gaming authorities. But its pot can be substantial, and the winner is praised and reviled in equal measure by the other fishermen in the running—especially if the winning fish breaks the 25-pound mark.
It’s a big-fish pot, and the winner takes the antes of all the also-rans, which includes a good number of seasoned veterans who have been fishing Fort Peck Reservoir every season for the last 50-plus years. In other words, these folks know big walleyes and pike, but they reserve a special admiration for any water wolf over 25 pounds. Some years, the winning pike pushes 30 pounds, and some think that it will take a 40-pounder to win the kitty in the coming years.
