Cranberry Portage preparing for annual trout challenge derby

Cranberry Portage is preparing for its biggest event of the summer - the 32nd edition of the Cranberry Portage Trout Challenge.

The annual fishing derby will get underway August 5 at 8 a.m. sharp, starting on Lake Athapapuskow and running throughout the weekend, wrapping up August 6.

Thousands of dollars in prizes are available for winning fishers, starting with a $6,500 grand prize for the largest fish. Prizes for second- and third-place finishers are also in the multiple thousands - second place gets $3,250, while third will receive $2,500. A youth angler competition will also be held, with the biggest fish hauled in by a fisher age 15 or younger getting that angler a $350 prize.

Fishers can register for the event through the app Fishdonkey, where they can upload photos and measurements of their individual catches. The derby is a catch-and-release event.

Along with the start of the derby, Cranberry Portage will play host to other events throughout the day - first holding another edition of the community’s artisan market from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Cranberry Portage Heritage Museum, then hosting a performance by Elvis and Johnny Cash impersonator Corny Rempel at Athapap Park starting at 5 p.m.

Organizers have also requested all fishers taking part in the derby to ensure their boats and equipment are free of zebra mussels - while the fast-spreading invasive species has showed up in several Manitoba lakes, they have not yet been found in Lake Athapapuskow. Out of town fishers are asked to clean, drain and dry all watercraft and gear before travelling, removing drain plugs from boats while travelling to Cranberry Portage, cleaning off all watercraft and trailers and decontaminating boats that have been in lakes where zebra mussels have been found.