August 8 | Newman Lake, Spokane, WA
Newman Lake sits in the rolling foothills of Spokane County, about twelve miles northeast of the city and just a few miles shy of the Idaho border. The lake occupies a basin left behind by the last ice age, when kame deposits from the retreating Cordilleran ice sheet dammed local drainage during the Missoula Floods era, trapping water in what is now a mesotrophic lowland lake fed primarily by Thompson Creek.
Newman Lake covers roughly 1,200 surface acres, with an average depth of 19 feet and a maximum depth of 30 feet — shallow enough for weed growth to dominate much of the shoreline, but with enough deeper water to give fish somewhere to retreat as the day warms.
Cover is concentrated along the developed west and north shorelines, where private docks line the bank, and along the less-developed north and south ends, where weedlines, lily pad edges, and scattered downed timber hold fish. Expect bites around dock pilings, the outside edges of pads, and open pockets within the weed growth.
The fishery includes largemouth bass, black crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed sunfish, yellow perch, brown bullhead, and tiger muskie, with an occasional brook trout in the mix.
Tournament boundaries follow the full lake, roughly 1,200 acres bounded by just under 10 miles of shoreline.
Focus on Fun
The Summer Opens promise to be a blast. Come on out to fish and meet other kayak anglers (experienced and newbie alike are encouraged to attend).
Kayak Bass Fishing Tournament
This bass fishing tournament is focused on fun and teamwork. If you’ve been thinking about getting involved in competitive kayak fishing, the Summer Opens are a great place to start. We will randomly pair one less-experienced tournament angler with one more-experienced tournament angler, to compete as a two-person team for the tournament. We will be fishing for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. We score fish by length, using the smartphone app TourneyX Pro. We practice CPR (catch, photo, release) to tabulate our scores. A certified bump board must be used: YakAttack Leaderboard, Ketch Karbonate, Ketch X Aluminum Board, and Original Ketch Board are the ONLY boards that will be accepted. There’s a six fish limit per team (three fish limit per angler). Catches between you and your teammate are combined to tabulate your team score. This means that you and your teammate each need to catch three fish for the best chance of winning. We also have an optional Big Bass Buy-In side pot, in which the competitor who catches the largest bass of the day gets the pot (minus fees).
Tournament Schedule
All times are Pacific Daylight Time (PDT)
Wednesday, August 5, 2026
- 11:59 AM – Registration Deadline
Friday – August 7, 2026
- No Prefishing Restrictions
- 10:00 PM – Identifier Code Released
Saturday – August 8, 2026
- 6:00 AM – Sunrise
- 6:00 AM – Pre-Event Briefing and Team Assignments | Newman Lake Public Boat Launch
Anglers MUST check-in by this time. Failure to check-in on-time will result in disqualification. When possible, we recommend all anglers prep their gear before check-in. After unloading, kayaks and gear may be stored on the bank, or near the launch. Be sure to leave room for other people to use the ramp. - 7:00 AM – Launch (Shotgun Start) | All Competitors
- 7:00 AM – Lines In
- 1:00:00 PM – Lines Out
- 2:00 PM – Upload Deadline / Off the Water
Cell Service on Water: Spotty
Cellular service may not be available on the water. It is the competitor’s responsibility to find service and upload their fish before the deadline. - 2:30 PM – Awards Ceremony and Gear Drawing | Newman Lake Public Boat Launch
Competitors MUST be present at Awards ceremony location by this time. Competitors who are not present by this time will be disqualified.
Washington Regulations and Links
- A Washington fishing license is required (temporary or annual) – Visit WDFW
- Competitors in any in-person Tournament (Tour Event or Open) that includes waters in Washington MUST complete Aquatic Invasive Species Decontamination Statement at Pre-Event Briefing. If the Competitor has operated their watercraft outside of Idaho, Oregon, or Washington within 30 days before the Tournament, they must decontaminate their watercraft and complete an Aquatic Invasive Species Decontamination Report. Failure to complete or provide these forms at Pre-Event Briefing, or failure to comply with the regulations will result in disqualification from the Tournament. Washington residents are encouraged to register their motorized watercraft, especially if they plan to fish Federal Inland Waterways in Washington (including, but not limited to the Columbia River, Lower Snake River, tidal tributaries, Lake Washington, Lake Union, and Lake Chehalis) or waterways outside Washington – Visit WDFW
- Our permit from WDFW requires all competitors display a yellow EVENT flag during all Washington events. The flag should only be displayed on tournament day, not during pre-fishing. You can purchase a flag here on the KFNW website: EVENT Flag.
Location Details
Eligible Water Boundaries
- Main water body
- Connected creeks, rivers, sloughs and tributaries accessible via kayak from the main body of water are in-bounds (conditions permitting for safety and accessibility)
- Disconnected sloughs and ponds are out-of-bounds
- Portaging is not permitted
- Only public waters are allowed
Pre-Event Briefing, Designated Launch, and Awards Location
- Newman Lake Public Boat Launch
- 56023 0107, Newman Lake, WA 99025
- https://maps.app.goo.gl/9GrEeBNBvi6MRXpM9
- In the picnic area at the end of the overflow parking lot (if available)
- Discover Parking Pass Required
Pre-Event Briefing Details
- Before the Pre-Event Briefing, a video will be published to go over specific details for this Tour Event. Certain rules may be discussed, but we will not review all the rules. It is the competitor’s responsibility to read and know all rules as published in the Rules Standard.
- A signed hard copy of the Liability Release is required by all competitors for each Event. You can download the Liability Release in advance and bring the completed form (download below).
- Electric Motor Inspection form is required for all competitors with a motor for the season or whenever a motor is added or equipment changed (download below). Once the form is completed, KFNW staff will determine if an inspection is necessary.
- Certified bump board is required and board check will be performed. Boards should be clean and dry.
- Competitors will have the opportunity to ask any questions before the meeting is adjourned.
- Attendance at the Pre-Event Briefing is mandatory. If you can’t attend the meeting due to work or an unavoidable obligation, another angler can bring your Liability Release and bump board on your behalf. This solely the responsibility of the two competitors and no exceptions will be given.
Special Rules
- This is an open tournament, no KFNW membership is required.
- No AOY points will be recorded.
- This is a team tournament. Angler may NOT compete alone. The Tournament Director will assign teammates at random, pairing more-experienced tournament anglers with less experienced tournament anglers. Anglers will fish as a team, and scores will be calculated on the best team score (three longest fish per angler, six fish total). If one of the two teammates does not catch three fish, culled fish from the other teammate can not be counted.
- There will be a shotgun start for this tournament, so all competitors may launch at the same time.
- Teammates are expected to fish near each other. We also expect experienced anglers to offer assistance to their less-experienced teammates.
- For these Season Kickoff Team events ONLY, we waive some assistance-related rules. You can assist your teammate, or other anglers, by holding on to their kayak, and reaching in to their kayak to help them take their submission photos.
Safety Notes
- An overhead 360° light is required in low light conditions. A high-visibility flag, vest-type PFD, and sound signaling device (whistle) are required on the water at all times. Failure to utilize any of this safety equipment may result in disqualification.
Downloads
- Waiver and Release of Liability Agreement (Adult)
- Waiver and Release of Liability Agreement (Minor and Adult)
- Electric Motor Inspection
Tournament Director:
- Marvin Forte
- email: marvinforte@kayakfishingnorthwest.com
- phone: (602) 410-1002