Kenai silver salmon derby canceled over unclear coho run data

The Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center canceled the 2026 Kenai Silver Salmon Derby on Aug. 27. The chamber cited limited in-season data on Kenai River coho abundance and inconsistent reports from guides and anglers.

The derby awards prizes using a "Magic Weight," a randomly chosen weight, rather than to the biggest fish. Organizers say it raises money for riverbank improvements along the Kenai, and they plan to explore moving it to August 2027, though no date has been set.

The same day, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game cut the Kenai River coho limit to two fish a day through Nov. 30, rather than the scheduled three. The department's emergency order cites continued signs of below-average coho abundance in Cook Inlet and says escapement monitoring for Kenai Peninsula coho "remains limited."