BENTON, Ky. (July 9, 2025) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today the 2026 Bass Pro Tour schedule, ushering in a new chapter for the sport’s premier professional bass fishing circuit. Featuring a roster of 51 pros, the 2026 season will spotlight some of the country’s most diverse fisheries and record-setting payouts as the field competes for Fishing Clash Angler of the Year honors and qualification into REDCREST 2027 and the MLF Heavy Hitters all-star event.
The new season kicks off January 15 at Lake Guntersville in Alabama and winds through fisheries in South Carolina, Texas, Arkansas, Florida, Oklahoma and Ohio, introducing multiple new venues and back-to-back dual-lake events that will push competitors to the limit.
“Our 2026 schedule showcases everything we love about the Bass Pro Tour – challenging new waters, high-stakes competition and a roster of the most accomplished anglers in the sport,” said Kathy Fennel, MLF Executive Vice President & General Manager. “We’re especially excited about several new stops on the Tour next season, and working on some exciting developments for REDCREST 2026, which we’ll be announcing soon. There’s never been a better time to be a fan of the sport of professional bass fishing.”
A key storyline entering the 2026 season is the Bass Pro Tour’s transition to a 51-angler field – the final step in a strategically planned two-year restructuring of the league’s competitive format. The next evolution is designed to create a more streamlined, sustainable model that elevates the profile of each competitor, improves storytelling for fans and sponsors and maximizes the league’s evolving digital broadcast strategy.
As in 2025, each Bass Pro Tour event will feature the full field of anglers competing in the Qualifying Round on Days 1 and 2, followed by the Knockout Round on Day 3 and then the Championship Round on Day 4. The league’s signature catch-weigh-release format ensures immediate fish care.
With fresh lakes and a field of the world’s best anglers ready to make history, the 2026 Bass Pro Tour promises more action, more surprises and more big bass moments than ever before.
2026 MLF Bass Pro Tour Schedule:
Jan. 15-18 Stage 1 at Lake Guntersville Guntersville, Ala.
Feb. 19-22 Stage 2 at Lake Hartwell Oconee County, S.C.
March 5-8 Stage 3 at Lake Whitney (Days 1-2) & Lake Waco (Days 3-4) Waco, Texas
March 26-29 Stage 4 at O.H. Ivie Lake (Days 1-2) & Lake Brownwood (Days 3-4) Early, Texas
April 16-19 REDCREST 2026 TBA
April 30-May 3 Stage 5 at Beaver Lake Northwest Ark.
May 16-21 MLF Heavy Hitters at Orange Lake Ocala, Fla.
June 18-21 Stage 6 at Grand Lake Grove, Okla.
Aug. 6-9 Stage 7 at Lake Erie Sandusky, Ohio
Proud sponsors of the MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing Co., Bass Force, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, E3 Sport Apparel, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, NITRO Boats, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Star brite, Suzuki Marine, Toyota and Zenni.
https://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_123/mlf-2026-schedule-7925.html
Major League Fishing (MLF) Archive