The cold winter air has done its job and hardened the watery surface of Sebago Lake. Coming soon is the time to carve out a hole, throw in a line and take part in Maine’s premier fishing derby.

This year, the Maine Chevrolet Derby will hold its Sebago Lake-only portion alongside the WinterFest celebration Feb. 21-22. The statewide tournament, featuring 22 weigh stations appraising fish from legal fishing lakes all over Maine, will be held March 7-8. The events, sponsored by the Sebago Lake Rotary Club, run 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. on all days.

It is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Sebago Lake Rotary Club, raising money for causes like the Good Shepherd Food Bank, Camp Sunshine, the Maine Children’s Cancer Program, and the DARE program, among other charities.

The activities actually get going Friday, Feb. 20 with the Kid’s Ice Fishing Derby, held 9 a.m. to noon at Alyssa’s Motel on Thomas Pond in Casco. The first 500 children age 12 and under compete for free, said organizer Tom Noonan.

“That always books out, so people might want to do that ahead of time,” he said.

The Sebago Lake Chevy Derby starts the next morning at 7 a.m. Entry fees are $30 for an adult individual pass, and $50 for a kid pack, which includes passes for two parents and up to six kids under the age of 18. Both passes allow the holder to compete in the statewide derby in March as well.

Weigh stations will be at Raymond Beach, Jordan’s Store in Sebago, and the Standish boat ramp. The angler who brings in the largest togue will take home a 2008 Ski-Doo. To the second place finisher goes a $1,500 gift card to Kittery Trading Post, while the store will reward a $500 gift card to the third place fisherman.

Derby entrants will also be eligible to win other prizes, such as a 2008 Chevy 4×4, a $5,000 Mission trailer and ice shack, a fishing trip at world famous Libby Camps in Ashland, and the choice of a 2009 Ski-Doo MXZ TNT 600 or a 2009 Can Am Outlander 500 XT.

On the weekend of the Derby, if you are wishing for a break from fishing, head over to the WinterFest activities, centered around Raymond Beach, located just off Route 302.

On Friday, Feb. 21 at noon, brave souls will plunge into Sebago Lake at Raymond Beach in the Maine Children’s Cancer Program Polar Dip. Last year, the event had around 200 people going into the icy waters, raising over $53,000 in the process, Noonan said.

WinterFest continues Saturday, Feb. 22 with the snowmobile radar run, starting at Raymond Beach at 10 a.m. and concluding at 4 p.m.

After a couple of weeks off, the 2009 Chevrolet Derby continues with the statewide derby, also sponsored by the Sebago Lake Rotary Club. Participants in the Sebago Lake-only derby can compete in the statewide derby for free. Otherwise, it is $20 for an individual and $30 for the kid pack, which includes two parents and up to six kids under 18.

Pickeral, pike, muskie and togue pulled from any Maine lake legal for fishing can be weighed at any one of the 22 weigh stations scattered across the state.