Major League Fishing announced on Thursday the schedule for the seventh season of professional bass fishing’s most competitive circuit, the 2025 Bass Pro Tour, and local anglers will be very excited to see Chickamauga and Nickajack on the list.
Lake Chickamauga and Nickajack Lake, will play host to Stage Four of the 2025 Bass Pro Tour season, May 1-4. The first two days of competition, May 1-2, will take place on Lake Chickamauga, while the final two days, May 3-4, will wrap up on Nickajack Lake. Hosted by Chattanooga and Fish Tennessee, the event will showcase 65 of the world’s top professional bass anglers competing for the sport’s top regular-season award of $150,000, along with a season-long race for millions of dollars in winnings and valuable points in the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) race, and qualification into REDCREST 2026.
“We are thrilled to host this prestigious event on our two beautiful bodies of water, including Lake Chickamauga, a renowned Bill Dance Signature Lake in Tennessee,” said Tim Morgan, Chief Sports Officer of the Chattanooga Tourism Co. “Downtown Chattanooga will offer a stunning natural backdrop for anglers to showcase our trophy bass.”
“We’d like to welcome the Bass Pro Tour back to Tennessee and we’re excited to try something new with this event,” said Dennis Tumlin, Chief Customer Officer of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. “Lake Chickamauga is home to the state record largemouth bass at 15 pounds, 3 ounces, and one cast can change the outcome of any event here. We’re also excited about taking the final two days to Nickajack Lake and beautiful Ross’ Landing in Downtown Chattanooga. We will be able to showcase Chattanooga’s hospitality and the famous Tennessee River Gorge and let the fans see why it is called the Scenic City.
“With conservation being a priority, we know that the Bass Pro Tour’s “catch, weigh & release” format will leave these fisheries in great shape for future generations to enjoy.”
Major League Fishing has never competed before on Nickajack Lake, but the event will mark the third time that the MLF Bass Pro Tour has visited Lake Chickamauga. When MLF last visited the fishery in 2021, legendary pro Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Michigan, outdueled local favorites Jacob Wheeler of Harrison (2nd) and Michael Neal of Dayton (4th) with a final-day championship round total of 25 bass weighing in at 70 pounds, 1 ounce to take home the red trophy.
“We’re excited about the rollout of the Bass Pro Tour 2025 schedule and what the season will offer to our fans: a fun mixture of new and familiar destinations, with a variety of fishery types and styles,” said MLF Executive Vice President and General Manager Kathy Fennel. “The schedule includes some of the best bass lakes and rivers in the country, including Lakes Chickamauga and Nickajack, which will create consistent excitement for our fans. We’re grateful to our fans, local partners and Bass Pro Tour anglers as we’re set up for an exciting 2025 season.”
For the first time in Bass Pro Tour history, the full field will compete simultaneously in the Qualifying Round on days one and two. From there, top anglers will advance to the Knockout Round on day three and ultimately the Championship Round on day four. Every day of catch, weigh, immediate-release competition will be broadcast live on MLFNOW!and streamed to the Major League Fishing app, MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) and Rumble apps, and at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
2025 MLF Bass Pro Tour Schedule:
Jan. 30- Feb. 2 Stage One at Lake Conroe Conroe, Texas
Hosted by Visit Conroe
Feb. 13-16 Stage Two at the Harris Chain of Lakes Leesburg, Fla.
Hosted by Discover Lake County Florida
March 6-9 Stage Three at Lake Murray Columbia, S.C.
Hosted by the Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board
April 3-6 Bass Pro Shops REDCREST 2025 at Lake Guntersville Huntsville, Al.
Hosted by Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association and the Madison County Commission
May 1-4 Stage Four at Lake Chickamauga/Nickajack Lake Chattanooga, Tn.
Hosted by Chattanooga and Fish Tennessee
May 17-22 General Tire Heavy Hitters at Smith Mountain Lake Franklin County, Va.
Hosted by Visit Franklin County, Va. and Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge
June 5-8 Stage Five at Kentucky Lake Calvert City, Ky.
Hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau
June 26-29 Stage Six at the Potomac River Marbury, Md.
Hosted by Charles County Recreation, Parks and Tourism
Aug. 7-10 Stage Seven at Saginaw Bay Bay City, Mi.
Hosted by Go Great Lakes Bay and the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce