Kenai Silver Salmon Derby Will Not Take Place In 2026

The Kenai Silver Salmon Derby won’t be held in 2026.

Kenai’s Chamber of Commerce &Visitor’s Center posted the following on its Facebook page:

After careful consideration, the Kenai Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center has made the difficult decision not to hold the 2026 Kenai Silver Salmon Derby.

Conservation has always been at the heart of this event. With limited in-season data available to specifically track Kenai River coho abundance, combined with inconsistent reports from local guides and anglers, we do not feel we have enough reliable information to confidently move forward with a harvest-based event this September.

This is a proactive conservation decision specific to our event and the standards we have established for the Kenai Silver Salmon Derby. It is not a judgment of other fishing events, organizations or anglers. Each organization must make the decision that is right for its event.

Sometimes being the World’s Most Responsible Fishing Derby means making the difficult decision not to hold a derby at all. We are already looking ahead and plan to explore moving the Kenai Silver Salmon Derby to August 2027.

Thank you to our anglers, sponsors, volunteers, guides, businesses and community partners for continuing to support this event and its conservation mission. We look forward to seeing everyone back in 2027.