2026-07-04 · Crosslake / Whitefish Chain (Crow Wing County)
Grandpa’s Run for the Walleye — Crosslake Legs, Whitefish Habitat Money
Some Minnesota fishing stories start with a jig. This one starts with sneakers — and ends with money for fish habitat on the Whitefish Chain.
Some Minnesota fishing stories start with a jig. This one starts with sneakers — and ends with money for fish habitat on the Whitefish Chain.
Saturday morning, July 4, 2026, Crosslake hosted the 29th annual Grandpa’s Run for the Walleye. Cooler temperatures made the race pleasant, which is Minnesota code for “you can still feel your toes at the finish line.” Out-of-towners took the hardware: Nathan Clausing of St. Paul won the 5K in 16:36, Gabriella Stanek of Monticello took the women’s 5K in 20:29, Jacob Gathje of Owatonna won the 10K in 36:53, and Sarissa Seracki of Minneapolis took the women’s 10K in 44:02. Locals still showed up in the mix — Lillie Pearo of Crosslake finished sixth in the 10K (53:57), and Courtney Hagen of Pequot Lakes took ninth in the 5K (23:05). (Pineandlakes Echo Journal)
The sponsor is the Whitefish Area Property Owners Association. The punchline that isn’t a joke: proceeds go to fish habitats on the Whitefish Chain of Lakes — so every sweaty mile is doing a little unpaid consulting for the walleyes. Full results live at pickleevents.com. (Echo Journal)
Campfire takeaway: the loudest Whitefish story that weekend wasn’t a night bite. It was a Fourth of July crowd running through Crosslake so the chain’s fish get a better room to live in.