Crappie Challenge At Lake Of The Ozarks! Whoever Catches The Biggest One Wins $50,000

One angler will win $50,000 this weekend for catching a single crappie at Lake of the Ozarks.

It's the second annual Crappie Challenge, put on by Anglers in Action, the same group that runs the twice-a-year Big Bass Bash — which draws thousands of anglers to the Lake hoping to win big bucks.

At the first-ever Lake of the Ozarks Crappie Challenge in 2025, 640 anglers showed up to compete, organizer Charlie Terrell reported. The biggest catch of the weekend tipped the scales at 2.06 lbs.

Terrell is expecting a sizable turnout this weekend, as participants angle for the $50,000 grand prize. That will go to the individual who catches the biggest crappie of the weekend (by weight). The second-largest will earn $10,000, and the third-largest will earn $5,000. In total, the tournament will pay out over $130,000 to anglers this weekend.

Every entry is also included in a drawing for a brand-new G3 boat from Surdyke Yamaha.

"Looks like the weather's gonna be pretty decent!" Terrell chipped in, reminding recreational boaters to keep a sharp eye out for fishing boats, as anglers will be moving in and out of coves in search of the next hotspot crappie bed.

How To Participate

Enter online at bigcrappiechallenge.com, or in-person on Friday at Public Beach #2 from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.

All participants are welcome at the Pre-party Fish Fry, to be held at Fitz Fishing Tackle, at 3621 Osage Beach Pkwy. The Fish Fry will be this Thursday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Participants can also register at the fish fry, get tournament swag, and more.

Schedule

The tournament runs Saturday and Sunday, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Anglers can take-off from anywhere around the Lake, but may not make the first cast until 7 a.m.

Weigh-ins for both days will run in the following time-slots: 7am - 9am / 9:01am - 11am / 11:01am - 1pm / 1:01pm - 3pm

20 places are paid-out each time slot, with the following payout structure:

1st: $1,000

2nd: $900

3rd: $800

4th: $700

5th: $600

6th: $500

7th: $400

8th: $375

9th: $350

10th: $325