Our Mission

The Illinois Muskie Trail is uniquely set up through the cooperation of existing Muskie clubs throughout the State. Each club, hosting it's own tournament as it deems appropriate. The host club of a qualifying tournament has ownership with the tour by having a representative set on the board of directors of the tour and by forwarding one dollar per entry in their tournament to the Trail for expense purposes.

At the conclusion of their tournament the host club would forward to the Trail the names and addresses of those winning, plus the names and addresses of those entered in order that the Trail headquarters might maintain qualifying points.

There are two primary goals for the Trail and the State Championship:

1) To promote interaction and camaraderie among Muskie fishermen in the State of Illinois. This goal will be reached by fishing each other’s tournaments with a formal goal of Trail Champion/Trail Runner-Up in mind. By the same time, the organizer’s hope to bring attention to the Muskie fishery and the Illinois Muskie fishermen with due recognition where warranted.

2) To assist the maintaining and improving of Muskie fishery in Illinois by donating all income from the tour/tournament to the Illinois Muskie Alliance and the Illinois Conservation Foundation for these ends.

The IMTT in not strictly business.
One of the reasons the IMTT exist is to promote the Illinois Fishery. What better way to insure the future of the fisheries than to teach our children how to fish. Mia Hinshaw (age 6) of Hudson Illinois joined an elite club of true Musky Hunters when she reeled in her first muskie this June. The muskie measured 36" and was caught at Evergreen. Wecome to the club Mia!