August 6, 2026, Seward Folly

Every August, the Silver Salmon Derby takes hold of Seward. This year’s event runs from August 8 – 16. The Seward Chamber of Commerce has hosted the Derby for seventy-one years and counting.

The  Derby is a marathon of tangled lines, fish tales, and rain gear. Started in 1956, it’s one of Alaska’s oldest and biggest derbies, and every year, for nine days, Seward’s focus is “silvers”. Thousands of hopeful locals and tourists spread out from the docks or beaches, rods in hand, hearts set on a silver.

You can register online at hbt.seward.com, or head down to the Derby Booth (open every morning by 6 a.m.) and sign up before you fish. Registration is open until 1 p.m. on the day you plan to fish, and as long as you’re there before noon on August 16th. Bring your ADF&G sport fishing license and pick a division – Boat, Shore, or Kayak. The Youth category is for ages under 16.

The rules are simple: buy a ticket, catch your fish, make sure it’s dead and “in the round,” and get it to the weigh station (next to the Derby Booth) before 8 p.m. daily, or by noon on the final day. 

The prizes have always been a draw in the Derby, and this year, the prize list is long. The heaviest fish nets $10,000 and Frogg Toggs gear. Second place? $5,000 (plus more gear). Third, $2,500. The awards keep going… sixth place scores Alaska Railroad tickets, and if you land in 71st place, the prize is a Royal Caribbean cruise for two.

Locals and out-of-towners battle for their own top-cumulative categories, each worth $500 cash and $500 in gear. The youth prizes include: $150 plus a Kenai Fjords Tours cruise for first, $100 and a cruise for second, and $50 and a cruise for third. The first fish caught is worth $100 cash. Heaviest from shore or kayak? Another $100 each, plus extra gear and gift cards. The Dorothy Urbach prize is back, handing out $1000 for the heaviest fish caught by both a male and a female Seward local.

There are daily prizes, random gear giveaways, and special awards for women anglers. And of course, the golden tickets — tagged fish that, if you’re lucky enough to catch one, could be worth $10,000 or even $20,000, depending on the tag. Sponsors have thrown in everything from $2,500 cash to guided kayaking adventures. And if you’re really feeling lucky, buy a $20 Alaska Airlines raffle ticket for a shot at two round-trip flights anywhere Alaska Airlines flies.

There’s also the Charter Competition. The winning charter company is featured in next year’s Visitor Guide. The charter company with the heaviest fish wins a tackle bag worth $400, a United composite fishing rod, a fully loaded Courtland swag bag, plus $500 for both the charter company and angler. Charter captains don’t need to register, but the clients need a derby ticket to weigh in their fish. 

As always, you can donate your fish (or buy it back for $5). Every dollar goes to stocking Resurrection Bay with more smolt, so your catch today fuels next year’s Derby. The Chamber has partnered with the Charter Boat Association to work on fish restoration projects.

“This is definitely a big priority for us,” says Liz Marsh from the Chamber.

Behind the scenes, it takes a small army of about 60 volunteers to keep everything in check.

“The volunteers really help us make this event happen, and we couldn’t do it without them,” says Chamber organizer Marsh. “It’s a great way to bring the community together. People have been involved with the Derby for years; they love to help out, as well as fish.”

Rain or shine, the Derby rolls on.