The Lake Fork High School Open is July 20-22 headquartered at Oak Ridge Marina. On Friday, July 20, participants will gather for a big block party at Oak Ridge Marin. It will give those participating and their families a time to visit and get to know anglers from all over the country. Fishing will begin Saturday and end Sunday with the final weigh-ins at Oak Ridge Sunday afternoon. Last year the team of Austin Graham and Travis Anderson III of Rains were the top winners.

The Lake Fork Open High School Scholarship Tournament has grown from its 2014 inception, which had 71 teams and an attendance of approximately 1,000 people, to last summer’s 135 teams from seven states and an attendance over 2,000. The young anglers take home trophies, prizes and scholarship money. The tournament is headquartered at Oak Ridge Marina. In 2017, $20,000 in scholarships and prizes were awarded.

This year is the 5th annual tournament and it is again sponsored by the Lake Fork Chamber of Commerce. Micheal Rogge is the tournament director and the President of the Lake Fork Chamber.

According to the Lake Fork Chamber of Commerce web site, the mission of the tournament is to provide college scholarship funds to high school students while teaching sportsmanship and responsibility in a fun atmosphere. Fishing is an activity where any student can participate.

The Lake Fork tournament is open to high school students entering the ninth grade in 2018 to those 2018 graduates who have not started college classes as of the date of the tournament. Students must be a member of BASS High School Nation, Student Angler Federation or show proof of membership in their high school fishing program.

If a student does not have a fishing program at their high school they will need to show proof of being a student in good standing with the most recent report card or letter from school officials.