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

Mark Sabbatini

Aug 8

4 min read

Updated: Aug 9

Fish turned in Friday night at Auke Nu station has sizable lead entering final day Sunday; 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 and Ellie Ruel

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 late 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 the end of the day 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 and Dylan Mielke tied for third with 18.4-pound kings, all 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." The Amalga weigh station saw a similar lull on Saturday afternoon, totalling one and a half totes of fish by the end of the day.

“It is slower today than it was yesterday, but the second day is kind of like that,” said derby official Misty Chilton.

This year’s derby was a first for Stephen Becker and his two-year-old daughter AJ. Becker turned in two scholarship cohos and said he nearly brought in a third.

He said the family had been enjoying the ideal conditions, and AJ enjoyed playing on the boat.

“The cohos are here, that’s my favorite part,” Becker said.

The Auke Nu station finished Saturday with five totes of fish, said derby official Alysha Reeves.

Charles Schultz loads a fish into a tote at the Auke Nu weigh station on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026. (Ellie Ruel / Juneau Independent)

Charles Schultz weighed in a 13.3-pound coho half an hour before the Auke Nu weigh station closed for the night. Schultz, who’s been fishing the derby for 30 years, said the fishing conditions have been relatively average this year.

“No kings, but we did catch a big coho,” he said.

He said his favorite part is the “opportunity to catch the big one.”

“I feel the same way every year,” Schultz said. “Optimistic.”