"Hooked On Fishing" Opening Day Trout Derby on Lake Wilderness - 4th Saturday in April (April 24-25, 2020) - CANCELED
Thank you to our Title Sponsors!!!
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The Greater Maple Valley - Black Diamond Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Maple Valley Rotary and the City of Maple Valley, presents the 18th annual celebration of "Hooked On Fishing" Opening Day Trout Season on Lake Wilderness! The fun begins at 3pm on Friday afternoon with tent camping in Lake Wilderness Park. The fishing derby begins at Midnight and the Rotary Fishermens breakfast begins at Midnight with all events concluding at noon on Saturday.
The event includes the trout derby with prizes for almost everyone (derby ticket $2) and the tagged fish derby ($5 ticket must be purchased prior to midnight on Friday). Fish school for young anglers 9 and under opens at 6:30am on the dock. Maple Valley Rotary also fires up the grill for hamburgers and hot dogs at 5pm Friday night.
For this once a year event, the City is allowing limited overnight tent camping in The Park for derby participants only. (NO RV's -parking is limited to one space per participant! Additional boat trailer parking will be available at the Maple Valley Community Center) Campers will be able to register and set up campsites beginning at 3pm on Friday evening.
Tagged Fish Ticket sales begin in early April at these selected locations:
- BECU in the Maple Valley Town Square
- Johnsons Home & Garden
- Maple Valley Black Diamond Chamber of Commerce
- Wilderness Auto Service & Chevron in Wilderness Village
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Friday -April 24
3 pm | Camping In The Park, BECU tent |
All Trout Derby Tickets On Sale | |
5-9 pm | Hot Dogs & Hamburgers on sale by Maple Valley Rotary |
6-7 pm | Fun & Games with Team Fred Meyer |
7-8pm | Big Fish Tales on the Beach - Story Time presented by THS Interact Club |
Dusk | Outdoor Movie "The Little Mermaid" sponsored by Black Diamond Maple Valley Kiwanis Club |
Midnight | Tagged Fish Tickets Close |
Saturday - April 25
MIDNIGHT | Derby Starts & Maple Valley Rotary begins their Fishermans Breakfast until 11:30am |
6:30 am - 10:30am | Fish School at the Fish Pen, 9 yrs, and under - sponsored by Maple Valley Vision & Hearing Clinic |
Free 'Fins & Grins' photo Op sponsored by RE/Max Select Real Estate - Tina McDonough & Cody McDonough | |
11:30 am | $2 Tickets Sales Close |
Derby ends and you must be in line for Weigh-In | |
NOON | Awards sponsored by Les Schwab |
3:00 pm | Campground Closes: Park closes at dusk |
Many thanks to our 2020 Sponsors: (image coming soon!)
Fishing Derby Rules
There are 4 ways to win a prize with your $2 derby ticket; Must be present to win:
- "Top 50": Enter one of the 50 largest trout caught from the lake, (not the net pen fish school). Your fish must be weighed/measured at the official weigh station by noon. KEEP YOUR TICKET, you will select your "quality" top 50 prize in order (biggest fish first) at the end of the derby and surrender your ticket when you pick your prize.
- "Top 51-100": Fall in the 51-100 range? Same rules as Top 50 apply but you will select a prize from a special table prior to the unveiling of the Top 50. KEEP YOUR TICKET and surrender it after you pick your prize.
- "Get It Now": Choose to not wait, and select from the "Get It Now” prize table. Also if/when your fish falls out of the "Top 100” group (as posted at derby headquarters) you should select your prize immediately from this table. All fish caught/entered from the Fish School Net Pen will receive their prize here. You must surrender your ticket when you receive your prize.
- "It’s Not Over Yet": All those who caught their fish in Lake Wilderness outside the net pen fish school, AND selected their prize from the "Get It Now” table may enter their derby ticket in this drawing for 5 additional "quality" prizes to be drawn at the end of the derby. Tickets must be deposited before 12:00 noon. ANY SIZE FISH CAN WIN!
The $5 Tagged Fish Ticket: Tickets must be purchased before midnight Friday, April 24, 2020. Tagged fish, if caught, must be accompanied by an official "tagged fish" derby ticket and verified by the derby chairman before 12:00 noon on April 25, 2020. Cash Prize for catching the tagged fish is $300.00. This year's fish is named "Multi - Finn" and is sponsored by MultiCare Covington Medical Center.
- Johnsons Home & Garden
- Wilderness Auto Service & Chevron
- BECU, Maple Valley Town Square
- Chamber Office
All Washington State Fishing Regulations Must Be Obeyed
Fire & Life Safety Tips
- Do wear a life jacket or other flotation device when on or near the water. (State law requires children ages 12 years and younger to wear a Coast Guard approved life jacket or vest on vessels less than 19’ long.)
- Do be aware of your fish hook and where it is at when you are casting
- Do keep combustibles AWAY from open-flames and cooking & heating device
- Do keep matches and lighters out of the reach of children
- Do have a first aid kit readily available
- Do have a portable multi-purpose fire extinguisher readily available.
- Don’t use unapproved or unlisted LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) devices, such as heaters.
- Don’t use open-flames such as candles, lanterns, kerosene, or LPG devices (such as heaters and cooking devices) inside a confined space such as a tent. Not only is this a fire hazard, it can contribute to carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Don’t store LPG or other liquefied fuel devices such as cooking stoves, heaters and lanterns inside of tents.
- And remember camp fires are NOT ALLOWED in The Park.
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members will be at The Park for minor injuries only on Saturday from 8 am to 11am.
DIAL 9-1-1 for Police, Fire, or Medical Emergencies
Lake Wilderness Park address is 22500 SE 248tth Street.
Good Luck & Be Safe
Please note:
- All minors not participating in the derby are asked to leave The Park after midnight on Friday
- Everyone Camping In The Park must register and obtain an event ID bracelet at the BECU tent.
- All participants must exit Lake Wilderness Park at dusk on Saturday.
- This is an alcohol-free event. No alcohol allowed in The Park.
- Know the rules and regulations!
- Only electric motors on boats are allowed. Boats equipped with Internal combustion motors are prohibited.
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