Welcome to the 12th Annual
North Channel Sturgeon Classic
Saturday, October 10, 2026
Save the date...
We are excited to announce the 2026 North Channel Sturgeon Classic – Saturday, October 10, 2026.
- The Captains meeting will be at 7am in the Clay Township Park Pavilion.
- Fishing hours are 9am - 5pm.
- The Awards ceremony will be at 6pm in the Clay Township Park Pavilion
2026 TEAM REGISTRATION OPENS ON JULY 16
Location:
Clay Township, Michigan – Michigan’s Sturgeon Angling Capital.
Fishing boundaries are from Russell Island Ferry down to the westernmost no wake buoy beyond Decker’s Landing and the middle channel from the north channel down to Brown's.
Benefitting:
This is a charity tournament being organized by St. Clair-Detroit River Sturgeon for Tomorrow.
Net proceeds from the event will be used to support this non-profit.
Tournament registration fee is $250 per team and is non-refundable.
This is a length-based (not weight) tournament – the three longest fish win a cash prize...
Registration Opens at Midnight July 16, 2026
Registration Closes at Midnight October 7, 2026
1ST PRIZE – $1500
2ND PRIZE – $750
3RD PRIZE – $250
Tournament Rules
Fishing time: 9am to 5pm on Saturday, October 10, 2026.
- Boundaries: St. Clair River North Channel from Russell Island Ferry to West End No Wake buoy downstream from Decker’s Landing and Middle Channel downstream to Brown’s Bar. (view map)
- Maximum of 6 Rods fishing per Team.
- All Team Captains must sign a “Tournament Waiver” form and provide the boat MC number, crew names, and cell phone contact number for the tournament Judges.
- Boats must have their Tournament Flag visible during daylight hours.
- No boats may approach other boats or docks during the hours of fishing time.
- Any lost items (net, cell phone, tournament flag or code card, etc.) that need to be replaced during tournament hours will be transferred by a judge to the registered boat at the Clay Township Fishing Pier near Lega’s Bar.
- All Michigan fishing and Coast Guard boating laws apply.
- All boats are subject to inspection by Judges before and throughout the tournament!
- This tournament is Catch and Release Only. Any Team keeping a sturgeon is disqualified.
- To register a fish, at least three (3) digital photos must be texted to the Judges and the text message must include the measured length of the fish. (view example)
- The three (3) longest sturgeon are cash prize winners. In the event of a tie in fish length measurement, the first fish reported to Judges wins.
- Tournament Judges Decisions are final & any Rule Violations result in instant disqualification & entry fee forfeiture as well as disqualification from all future North Channel Sturgeon Classic Tournaments.
- Bump board must be returned when you finish fishing – before 6:30pm. Drop off location TBD.
Resources
Questions?
Blair Hughes 248-881-2636