OUTDOORS: Halibut derby retuns this weekend after hiatus
Published 3:45 pm Wednesday, May 20, 2026
PORT ANGELES — After a nine-year hiatus, the Port Angeles Salmon Club is bringing back the Halibut Derby over Memorial Day weekend.
The club held the halibut derby for 16 years, but it went on hiatus for several years, including cuts in the halibut season and the COVID-19 pandemic. The club’s goal is the make this an event like the old derby days.
“We’re looking at re-establishing it and making it a community event every year,” said Ward Dunscomb, president of the salmon club.
Dunscomb said in the old days, as many as 750 anglers participated in the halibut derby and the club is hoping to get 300 this year.
Tickets for both the derby and the raffle are on sale at Swain’s General Store in Port Angeles from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. today and Friday. Tickets will go on sale at the Port Angeles Yacht Club building at 3 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. The derby tickets are $60.
Parking is limited, so the Lower Elwha Tribe donated some of its adjacent property for parking. Shuttles will run from the parking to the yacht club, dock area. There will also be a Frugal’s food truck at the yacht club from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days. Fishing will take place from daylight to 2 p.m. Saturday and. Sunday. The weigh-in is at the West Boat Haven dock ending at 2 p.m. each day.
The club received a $10,000 grant from the city of Port Angeles to kick start the program, and local businesses have contributed several thousand more. New for this year is a raffle with fishing-related prizes totaling more than $5,000. A total of 1,000 raffle tickets are available. Prizes include equipment such as halibut and downrigger rods, Garmin fish finders, filet knives and a Kiewet lunch box with speakers.
Following the final tally, the club will hold the raffle drawing as close to 2:15 p.m. Sunday as possible. The award of $15,000 cash prizes for biggest fish (20 total cash prizes down to $60) will begin about 3 p.m.
Longtime derby director and local radio sports icon Scooter Chapman will help with the raffle and prizes ceremony. Port Angeles Mayor Kate Dexter will hand out the $5,000 check for largest halibut.
