26.2-pound king in lead, small fish pays big on Saturday at 80th Golden North Salmon Derby

Mark Sabbatini
1 hour ago
3 min read

Fish turned in Friday night at Auke Nu station has sizable lead at midpoint of three-day event; among special prizes this year is $500 for a 5.5-pound coho at Douglas station

Ryan Beason, chair of the 80th Golden North Salmon Derby, unloads fish caught by his family, including his twin daughters Claire and Elise, 9, and wife, Lauren, at the Douglas Harbor weigh-in station at midday Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026. (Mark Sabbatni / Juneau Independent)

By Mark Sabbatini

Juneau Independent

It was an eager moment of anticipation like hundreds of others during the weekend as a salmon caught by Elise Beason, 9, was placed on a scale. But unlike most participants seeking big bragging rights, her mother was urging the official weighing the coho to shake as much water as possible off so it registered at the lowest weight possible.

"It's a special prize if you can get a coho to Douglas only for less than six pounds," said Lauren Beason, referring to one of the 18 special prizes being awarded during the 80th annual Golden North Salmon Derby,

Elise Beason’s coho officially registered at 5.5 pounds.

"We’ve never been so excited about a small fish before," her mother said.

The youth also turned in a 13.6-pound coho. Her twin sister, Claire, turned in a 16.4-pound coho during their stop at the Douglas Harbor weigh station, the biggest one at that location as of noon Saturday. The family, including the twins’ father Ryan, the chair of the derby, also turned in three scholarship fish.

It was the third boat at the station as of midday Saturday, continuing a slow pace from Friday, said Jonathan Gunstrom, the station’s dock chair.

"We got like 30 fish yesterday, which is really slow," he said.

Ben Huff sees a coho salmon he caught tip the scales at 13.7 pounds at the Douglas Harbor weigh-in station on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Independent)

The unofficial derby leader as of noon Saturday was a 26.2-pound king salmon turned in by Patrick Dryer at the Auke Nu Cove station on Friday evening. The derby’s live leaderboard shows Oliver Dryer second with a 19.5-pound king and Ivan Odenheimer third with an 18.4-pound king, both turned in at the Auke Nu station.

The biggest fish turned in at the Amalga Harbor station is a 16.3-pound king by Quincy Bates.

Weather conditions at midday Saturday were overcast with light winds. The National Weather Service forecast calls for similar weather with a chance of rain throughout the rest of the weekend.

Ben Huff, a Juneau resident who turned in a 13.7-pound king at the Douglas station, said he’s participated in the past six or seven derbies and the fishing conditions seem favorable this year, although cohos were slow to arrive in the area.

"It’s super calm, like flat calm everywhere," he said. "It's the best I've seen it and I really love it."