Fishing derby hooks over 250 anglers on Lake Coeur d'Alene
Over 250 anglers took to the waters of Lake Coeur d’Alene on Wednesday for the 42nd annual 2026 Big One Derby.
Hosted by the Lake Coeur d’Alene Anglers Association, the five-day event brings in fishermen from all over North Idaho trying to catch the biggest king salmon.
Chairman of the LCAA, Roger Blackstone, called the Big One Derby rare in its ability to attract anglers year after year.
“It’s not really a common fishery, that being a landlocked salmon fishery,” he said. “It’s also pretty rare to have a salmon derby nationally go on for this many years.”
According to the LCAA, after the first day of fishing, John Shull currently sits in first place in the adult category with a catch of 30 inches and 11.3 pounds. In second place is Jacob Knapp with a catch of 30 inches and 9.9 pounds.
In the youth division, Jenna Morrison currently sits in first place with a catch of 28.5 inches and 10.2 pounds, and Owen Webberly sits in second place with a catch of 28.5 inches and 8.5 pounds.
The derby is open from Wednesday to Sunday. Participants can fish from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and from 7 a.m. to noon Sunday, with final placing and the derby awards ceremony happening afterward.
Blackstone sees events like the Big One Derby as great ways to build community.
“I’ll meet people from all walks of life through fishing that I may have never met,” he said.
Final placement in the adult division will award monetary prizes to the top five finishers. First place receives $5,000; second place receives $3,000; third place receives $1,000; fourth place receives $750; fifth place receives $500. Placers six through 10 receive a physical prize.
For LCAA members, there are daily monetary prizes. First place for the day will take home $500, second place will receive $300 and third place will receive $100.
For Blackstone, who takes part in the event every year, it’s not about the prizes.
“Its more about beating your friends in a contest that it is about the money,” said Blackstone. “It’s just fun to fish against other people that are good at it.”
During the event, anglers will fish from depths of 50 to 100 feet. Most will use a device called a downrigger to control their lure or bait depth to be sure they are fishing where the king salmon are in the water.
After catching a fish measuring greater than 30 inches in the adult category and 25 inches in the youth, anglers must take the fish to one of several official weigh stations for their official derby length and weight to be taken.
Alongside the main derby competition is the 2026 Rubber Duck Hunt. Spread across the competition grounds are rubber ducks with assigned monetary or prize values. Those participating in the derby can pick them up and redeem them during the awards ceremony Sunday.
John Shull beams with pride as he holds up his first-place salmon, weighing 11.3 pounds, from the Big One Derby on Wednesday.