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Steamboat Springs — The weather during Saturday's ice fishing tournament at Green Mountain Reservoir might be a little frigid.

But the event will provide a good warm-up for the larger Wolford Reservoir Ice Fishing Contest in February.

Last year's Green Mountain Reservoir Ice Fishing Contest was canceled because of permitting issues with the U.S. Forest Service. This year, the Kremmling Area Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring the event.

Katrina Wright from the Kremmling Chamber said the contest should lure a couple hundred people. It will be based out of the small Summit County community of Heeney, which sits on the south side of Green Mountain Reservoir, about 25 miles east of Kremmling.

"It's a beautiful reservoir to be hanging out and catching some fish that could make you some money," Wright said.

The contest runs from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cash prizes totaling $1,500 will be paid out to the top five winning catches. There is a $750 top prize.

Fish will be judged according to the measured combination of length and girth.

"We don't weigh fish because in the past we found lead weights in the fish that could have altered the results," Kremmling Chamber board member Carrie George said.

A prize drawing and award ceremony will follow the contest at 4:30 p.m. at Kremmling's Town Square Park.

Steamboat residents may be more inclined to attend the Feb. 13 Wolford Reservoir Ice Fishing Contest. Wright said Kremmling's hotels are already booked for the weekend and expects the larger contest to draw more than 450 competitors from around the state. In honor of the contest's 10th year, the Colorado Division of Wildlife will tag a $10,000 fish, and the contest will increase it payout to $5,000 in prize money to the top 10 catches.