Good Question: Why are fishing tournaments on public lakes not regulated to limit the number of tournaments per week

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - As we get closer to summer, more people are heading out to the lake. One viewer wanted to know if there was any way to make sure they weren’t too crowded.

For today’s good question, Vicky asks, “Why doesn’t Fish and Wildlife regulate local fishing tournaments on public lakes to limit the number of tournaments that are held every week?”

She says the docks holding regular fishing tournaments crowd the smaller lakes and limit access for the non-tournament fishers.

We asked Kentucky Fish and Wildlife about this, and information officer Lisa Jackson said there is no state-wide requirement for organizers to schedule fishing tournaments unless you have 100 boats or more. Tournaments at state parks also require registration.

However, for smaller fishing tournaments on public lakes, no state law limits how often they can take place.

Fish and Wildlife does host a voluntary online tournament schedule that they encourage organizers to use to limit overlapping with other tournaments. Their website says the use of that site has fluctuated over the years but remains low.

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