The State Trout Derby is so completely amazing for several reasons. I think the biggest reason might be that it is not just over a weekend or a few days. It actually lasts about 4 1/2 more months! The Derby is on now until October 31st (began in April).  They will be handing out more than a thousand prizes valued at over $38,000. Another great thing is that if you're not much of a trout fisherman, no worries! There is a Derby Lakes Page that will give you a complete list of the participating lakes. I'm talking about over 100 stocked lakes! When you visit the Derby Lakes Page, you can actually see where all of the tagged prize fish are.

But what if you choose a Lake that has been fished out? No worries there either. You'll be able to see how many tagged prize fish have been caught so far in that lake with real-time updates. I grew up in Montana fishing my favorite streams and creeks, so I'm not much of a lake fisherman. But I can recommend this: the Daredevil red & white spoon. I've never met a trout that could resist it!

 

LOOK: Stunning vintage photos capture the beauty of America's national parks

Today these parks are located throughout the country in 25 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The land encompassing them was either purchased or donated, though much of it had been inhabited by native people for thousands of years before the founding of the United States. These areas are protected and revered as educational resources about the natural world, and as spaces for exploration.

Keep scrolling for 50 vintage photos that show the beauty of America's national parks.

 

 

See the Must-Drive Roads in Every State

 

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