Lions Club Father's Day Derby

The Lions Club Father's Day Derby at Newlan Creek Reservoir is a Montana classic held every Father's Day weekend and has run for more than 30 years. The event centers on the simple pleasure of taking dad fishing in the high prairie foothills near the Castle and Little Belt Mountains. Entry is $10, and prizes go to the three largest trout or salmon brought to the scale: $500 for first, $300 for second, and $200 for third. The day also features door prizes (past years have included a helicopter ride) and a volunteer fire department pancake breakfast served from 7 a.m. to noon.

Newlan Creek Reservoir is a Montana FWP fishing access with a campground and boat ramp, hosting rainbow trout, brook trout, Yellowstone cutthroat, and kokanee. A Montana fishing license is required to participate. The derby blends simple family recreation with community involvement and prize incentives, making it a enduring small-town spectacle that draws locals and visiting anglers to a scenic reservoir set in the foothills of the mountains.