Major League Fishing announced recently that the 2025 College Fishing National Championship will take place on Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Alabama, April 9-11, 2025.
The 16th annual College Fishing National Championship will mark the second time the three-day tournament has been held on Wheeler Lake and will showcase the nation’s top collegiate bass anglers.
“Major League Fishing is excited to be returning to Wheeler Lake, a legendary bass-fishing destination, for the 2025 College Fishing National Championship,” said Kevin Hunt, MLF Senior Director of Tournament Operations. “The lake’s diverse and challenging waters will provide the perfect stage for the nation’s top collegiate anglers to showcase their talents and passion for the sport. We’re looking forward to an exciting event.”
The tournament will feature the top teams from the 2024 MLF College Fishing season competing for a top prize of $43,500, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro boat powered by a 115-hp outboard and $10,000 in cash. The winning team will also advance to the 2025 Toyota Series Championship to compete as pros for a shot at winning as much as $235,000. The highest-finishing team member at the Toyota Series Championship will advance to REDCREST 2026 to compete against the top professional anglers in the sport for a top prize of $300,000.
The second-place team will receive a Phoenix 518 Pro boat powered by a 115-hp outboard. The team also advances to the 2025 Toyota Series Championship to compete as pros. The third-place finishers at the College National Championship will receive $4,000, and the team advances to the 2025 Toyota Series Championship as co-anglers for a shot at winning a new Phoenix 518 Pro powered by a 115-hp Mercury or Suzuki. Every team in the Top 10 at the 2025 College Fishing National Championship will receive at least $1,000.
College teams compete in nine regular-season qualifying tournaments across the country to qualify for the championship. The top 12 percent of teams from each qualifying event advance to the following year’s College Fishing National Championship.
