Saturday April 1, 2023 set for the Helen Chamber of Commerce signature fishing event
Saturday April 1, 2023
6 a.m.-2 p.m.
34th Annual Helen Trout Tournament
Helen Festhalle
1074 Edelweiss Strasse, Helen, Georgia 30545
706-878-1908
Have fun and compete for $4,000 in available prizes while fishing the Chattahoochee River for cash prizes in tagged fish. Open to all ages. $25 entry fee includes one raffle ticket for all entries and a souvenir tournament tee shirt while supplies last. A Georgia fishing license and trout stamp is required by the State of Georgia; all tournament participants are to follow the Georgia DNR rules of fishing in the Chattahoochee River in Helen.
ALPINE HELEN-WHITE COUNTY, GEORGIA—FEBRUARY, 2023–To celebrate trout fishing and the excellent fishing in the streams and rivers of this North Georgia town, The Helen Chamber of Commerce presents the 34th Annual Helen Trout Tournament, 6 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday April 1, 2023 at the Helen Chamber of Commerce Festhalle, 1074 Edelweiss Strasse, Helen, Georgia 30545. Anglers of all ages will have fun and compete for $4,000 in available prizes.
The Helen Chamber of Commerce will stock the Chattahoochee River with over 400 pounds of trout for this event. This beautiful stretch of the Chattahoochee that flows leisurely through the City of Helen, only 20 miles from the headwaters, is teeming with trout and has been known to produce trophy native trout. In addition, The Georgia Department of Natural Resources will also be stocking the river for the tournament. The crystal-clear shimmering water of the Chattahoochee flows from springs, tiny streams and tributaries in the National Forests and the Appalachian Watershed surrounding Helen. When you are not fishing, there are a multitude of shops, restaurants and hotels for the entire family to enjoy in www.HelenChamber.com.
Anglers of all ages will line the tournament boundaries, trying to hook tagged* trout, from the river access area on Escowee Street (just upstream from Hofbrauhaus Restaurant) downstream through Helen to the first Brucken Strasse bridge at Cool River Tubing. A Georgia fishing license and trout stamp is required by the State of Georgia; all tournament participants are to follow the Georgia DNR rules of fishing in the Chattahoochee River in Helen.
To win prizes, anglers must catch a tagged trout and present it at the Festhalle for weigh-in, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Be sure to be in the Festhalle by 2 p.m. when the Prize Awards Ceremony and Bucket Raffle Drawing begin. This year the top three prizes are by individual weight for tagged trout and include:
- 1st place $1,000 fish sponsored by Cool River Tubing
- 2nd place $500 “Milton Davis” fish sponsored by the Helen Chamber
- 3rd place $300 fish sponsored by Heidelberg German Restaurant
- $50 for each of the next 25 tagged trout by weight
- $25 for the remainder of the tagged trout by weight
*Only 2023 officially tagged trout qualify for prizes.
A $25 entry fee includes one raffle ticket for all entries and an official souvenir tournament tee shirt while supplies last. Pre-registered reserved shirts will be held for pick up at the Festhalle until 2 p.m. on the day of the tournament. T-shirts are sponsored by: Betty’s Country Store, Cool River Tubing, Cowboys & Angels Restaurant, Georgia Mountain Coaster, Habersham Winery, Heidelberg German Restaurant, Helendorf River Inn, Hofbrauhaus German Restaurant, LaCabana Mexican Restaurant, Outpost Gold & Gem Panning, Paul’s Steakhouse, Savannah River Chapter Trout Unlimited.
Event Registration: Participants can print an entry form, have it postmarked by March 24, 2023 and mail to: P.O. Box 192, Helen, Georgia 30545. Online registration is at www.HelenChamber.com, where registrations will be accepted through March 29, 2023. In person registration is from 4-7 p.m., Friday, March 31 and 6-9 a.m., Saturday, April 1, at the Helen Festhalle, 1074 Edelweiss Strasse, Helen, Georgia. For information and registration forms, visit https://helenchamber.com/helen-trout-tournament or call 706-878-1908.
For lodging, dining and visitor information visit www.HelenChamber.com or www.HelenGA.org or call 1-800-858-8027. Be sure to LIKE the Helen Trout Tournament page on Facebook.