The Illinois Muskie Tournament Trail (IMTT) is an Illinois nonprofit corporation uniquely set up through the cooperation of existing Muskie clubs throughout the state. The organization’s mission is to promote interaction and camaraderie among Muskie fishermen in the State of Illinois and help maintain and expand the state’s fishery.

To achieve this mission, IMTT organizes an annual trail of Muskie fishing tournaments. Each participating club hosts one or more tournaments. The host club is responsible for the administration of their tournament(s) and reports the results to IMTT. In addition to club tournaments, IMTT hosts several tournaments each year which are administered by IMTT tournament directors.

Points are awarded to members for trail event participation, placing in trail tournament events, and total inches of fish caught during trail events. The annual trail culminates with a State Championship Tournament each fall. IMTT recognizes a State Champion and Runner Up each year based on points awarded at the State Championship Tournament and an Angler of the Year and Runner Up based on total trail points accumulated throughout the year.

A portion of the entry fees from each IMTT-administered tournament are set aside for fishery improvement. These entry fees, along with membership dues and monies raised through other fundraising activities, are used to support and expand the fishery. IMTT participates in the Illini Muskies Alliance and assists the Illinois Department of Natural Resources through the purchase of equipment and materials for the Jake Wolf Memorial Hatchery and the Fisheries Division.

IMTT operates a youth fishing program (Youth Honor Roll) to encourage young anglers to participate and grow in the sport. In 2012, IMTT awarded its first annual IMTT Scholarship to a student majoring in fishery biology to help preserve our angling resource for future generations.