Alaska Salmon Fishing Derbies

You could spend a whole summer competing in salmon fishing derbies in Alaska. And with any luck, you could walk away with a generous reward, not to mention, a fishing story that we'll never hear the end of.

As we all know, Alaska is home to bountiful amounts of fishing opportunities. Five different kinds of salmon swim along the pristine coast and up the glacier-fed rivers and streams; king, sockeye, silver, pink, and chum salmon. Alaska salmon are well known for their fierce fighting abilities. King salmon are also well known for their size, with trophy-size fish weighing over 80 lbs!

Combat salmon fishing in downtown Anchorage during Ship Creek's king salmon derby.

Every summer, Alaska's communities offer salmon derbies. Lucky winners receive prizes of all kinds including huge jackpots, daily prizes, and new vehicles. You'll also have the opportunity to catch "tagged" salmon which carry cash prizes ranging into the tens of thousands. Below, you'll find the wide assortment of winnings to be had along with derby location and fees.

So grab your fishing gear and head to Alaska for the summer. With it's scenic majesty and plentiful waters, you never know what you might catch. Just don't forget to buy your derby ticket!

Alaska Salmon Fishing Derby Locations

Alaska Salmon Fishing Derby Schedule

This information is an online compilation of the 2003 derbies and will be subject to change in the upcoming 2004 derbies and throughout the year. We take no responsibility in the accuracy of this information. Please contact derby authorities for official rules and regulations.

March

The Homer Chamber of Commerce Winter King Salmon Tournament
Approximate Dates: Saturday, March 20th, 2004
Location: Kachemak Bay
Fees: $100
Grand Prize: $13,500 last year, $60,000 in cash and prizes, daily prizes.
Website: homeralaska.org/kingsalmon/king-salmon.htm

May

The Ninilchik King Salmon Derby
Approximate Dates: April 15th through June 15th
Location: The saltwaters between Deep Creek and Stariski Creek
Fees: $3 daily
Grand Prize: $1,000 + fish mount, 2nd Place: $500
Tagged fish: worth up to $20,000, Weekly prizes & raffles

Mat-Su King Salmon Derby
Approximate Dates: May 23rd through July 6th
Location: Little Susitna River & Drainages (Mat-Su)
Fees: $5 daily/ $20 all derby
Grand Prize: $35,000 truck, 2nd Place: $20,000 snow-mobile package
Tagged fish: worth $10,000, Daily prizes & raffles
Website: www.wasillachamber.org/kingderby.htm

Goodnight Inn Lodge King Salmon Derby
Approximate Dates: May 16th through Aug 15th
Location: Kenai River
Fees: $10 daily/ $20 all derby
Grand Prize: $50,000 (must beat current IGFA record of 97 lb. king salmon)
Annual Grand Prize: $3,000

June

Ship Creek's Slamin' Salmon King Derby
Approximate Dates: June 4th through June 13th
Location: Downtown Anchorage at Ship Creek
Fees: $10.00 per day or $20.00 to $40.00 all derby. 7 different divisions
Grand Prize: $11,000+ tagged fish, daily prizes, daily drawings.
Website: www.shipcreeksalmonderby.com

Anchor River King Salmon Derby
Approximate Dates: 5 consecutive weekends beginning on Memorial Day
Location: Anchor River
Fees: ?
Grand Prize: $1,000 + trophy, Weekly prizes

July

Valdez Pink Salmon Derby
Approximate Dates: June 30th through July 7th
Location: Valdez
Fees: $6 daily, $15 for 3 days, and $35 all derby
Grand Prize: $1,000, 2nd Place: $500, Daily Prizes

Hope Pink Salmon Derby
Approximate Dates: July 15th through Aug 15th
Location: Hope
Fees: no entry fee
Grand Prize: 1 troy oz. gold
Information: (907) 782-3268

August

Seward Silver Salmon Derby
Approximate Dates: Aug 9th through Aug 24th
Location: Seward
Fees: $10 daily/ $50 all derby
Grand Prize: $10,000, Tagged fish: worth $100 to $100,000, Daily prizes
Website: www.seward.net/chamber/silver_salmon_derby.htm

Valdez Silver Salmon Derby
Approximate Dates: Aug 2nd through Aug 30th
Location: Valdez
Fees: $10 daily/ $50 all derby
Grand Prize: $15,000, Daily Prizes

Ship Creek's Slamin' Salmon Silver Derby
Approximate Dates: Aug 8th through Aug 17th
Location: Downtown Anchorage at Ship Creek
Fees: $10.00 per day or $20.00 to $40.00 all derby. 7 different divisions
Grand Prize: $1,600+ tagged fish, daily prizes, daily drawings. 41 different ways
Website: www.shipcreeksalmonderby.com

Homer Summer Silver Salmon Derby
Approximate Dates: August 18th through September 4th
Location: Homer
Fees: $10 per day, $50 all derby
Grand Prize: 40% ticket sales, 2nd Place: 20% , 3rd Place: 15%

Is there a derby not listed here that we should know about? Email us here.