Outdoor Teamworks photo The televised live-action National Walleye Tournament series is returning to Dunkirk in 2025, on Aug. 7-8. Local anglers are among top competitors.

Professional and co-angler walleye tournament fishing has grown immensely over the last few years. Among the most popular big-money events is the National Walleye Tour (NWT), a part of the Outdoor Team Works (OTW) family of fishing tournaments. The National Walleye Tour consists of four regular-season events and a no-entry-fee championship. Each regular-season event is a two-day tournament and delivers over a 100 percent payback, which means that all the entry fees are returned to the winners as prize money. Pro anglers compete against other pro-anglers, and co-anglers compete against other co-anglers.

The 2025 season events are strategically spread across the west, central and east USA locations, offering a diverse range of water bodies for anglers to explore. This unique approach is aimed at attracting more anglers to fish the NWT while providing a variety of water bodies to compete on.

Competition in 2025 will include a stop at Dunkirk Harbor on Aug. 7-8; this is the fourth leg of the NWT series that can consist of as many as 100 professional competitors and more. Before Dunkirk, the NWT will hold previous competitions in the series at Lake Sharpe in Pierre, South Dakota on April 24-25; the Mississippi River in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, on May 22-23; and Lake Huron at Alpena, Michigan, on July 10-11. After the Dunkirk event, qualifying finalists will compete in the NWT Championship set for Green Bay at Marinette, Wisconsin on Sep. 4-6. These events include live television from the tournament sponsors.

The OTW tournaments, from professional events like the NWT to grassroots fishing derbies, are all backed by some of the top companies in the nation. These events include on-site activation and activities, as well as extensive media support, ensuring that fans and participants are always in the loop. For live updates and information, follow NWT on Facebook and Instagram or visit www.nationalwalleyetour.com to catch up on all the action.

Based on feedback from NWT anglers, the OTW is working hard to keep the NWT a nationally recognized walleye series designed to appeal to competitive walleye anglers across the nation.

Potential competitors can check the official rules, registration dates, 2025 NWT payouts, additional information on the events, contingency prizes, and other event announcements, including updated angler qualifications, at the NWT website.

Gotta love the outdoors.

Outdoor Calendar:

Nov. 2-15: NYS Southern Zone Big Game CROSSBOW season OPEN.

Nov. 7: WNY Walleye monthly meeting, 6:30 p.m., Knights of Columbus, 36 Pierce Ave., Hamburg.

Nov. 11: Veterans Day- Free Fishing Day in NYS for residents and non-residents. No license required.

Nov. 12: Niagara Musky Assoc. monthly meeting, 7 p.m., Eldredge Club, 17 Broad St., Tonawanda.

Nov. 12: Fly Fishing and Fly-Tying Class, FREE, 7-8:30 p.m., with Alberto Rey, Costello Room, Rockefeller Arts Center, SUNY Fredonia. Info: email reya@fredonia.edu.

Nov. 15: Last day NYS Southern Zone early big game archery and crossbow season.

Nov. 16-Dec. 8: NYS Southern Zone Regular (firearm) Big Game season

Dec. 9-Dec. 17 and Dec. 26-Jan. 1: NYS Southern Zone Late Bowhunting season.