FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER
The 2026 Season Recap
If you've spent any time on the docks at Waterfall Resort this summer, you've probably heard anglers talking about the Top Kings leaderboard. It tracks the season's biggest king salmon catches, and this year's board includes anglers from Elk Grove to Honolulu. Here's where things stand, and why now is the time to start planning your own shot at the board in 2027.
| Place | Date | Angler | Weight (lbs) | Hometown |
| 1st | 8/1 | Lyle Moody | 57.2 | Honolulu, HI |
| 2nd | 7/26 | Kaz Kanemura | 44.4 | Elk Grove, CA |
| 3rd | 7/20 | Charles Ratcliff | 40.0 | Canton, MS |
| 4th | 7/8 | Matthew Masluk | 38.1 | Henderson, NV |
Four boats, four hometowns thousands of miles apart, one hobby in common. That's the magic of king season at Waterfall Resort. Anglers fly in from every corner of the country chasing the same rush with Alaska as the perfect backdrop.
Lyle Moody Takes the Lead
A few weeks ago, Lyle Moody muscled in a 57.2 pound king with Guide Alex at the helm (both pictured below), vaulting straight to the top of the board. It's the kind of fish that stops conversation on the dock, the kind anglers spend all year telling stories about. But Lyle didn't get there without a fight for the top spot. Kaz Kanemura's 44.4 pounder with Guide Silas held strong for weeks, and before that, Charles Ratcliff and Matthew Masluk each had their turn holding down the leaderboard with fish over 38 pounds.
Here's the thing about the Top Kings board. It's not done moving. Every week brings new boats, new water conditions, and new anglers, excited to make this the year their name goes up top.
Increased King Salmon Limits
Timing couldn't be better for anyone still chasing a spot on the board. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game just announced a second increase to the nonresident king salmon annual limit for Southeast Alaska, effective August 1 through September 30, 2026.
Nonresident anglers can now keep four king salmon 28 inches or greater for the year, up from the original limit of two. The daily bag and possession limit stays at two fish.
Alaska residents fishing state waters keep their existing bag and possession limit of three kings per day, with no annual cap.
That extra fish on the nonresident limit means more room to fish hard through the rest of the season, and one more shot at knocking Lyle off the top of the board.
More Than a Number on the Board
Not every angler at Waterfall Resort is chasing a spot on the King of King Salmon leaderboard, and that's just fine with us. Plenty of our guests come back year after year for the quiet moments as much as the big bites, the mist rising over Prince of Wales Island at sunrise, an eagle circling the boat, the hush of the Inside Passage at the end of a long day on the water. Alaska has a way of doing that to people.
Whether you're here to battle a trophy king or just soak in some of the most beautiful water in the world with friends and family, everyone leaves with their own kind of catch. And when that rod finally bends, everybody on the boat gets just as excited, leaderboard or not.
Start Planning Your 2027 Season Now
If watching this leaderboard has you itching to see your own name written down in Waterfall Resort history, don't wait. The best dates for 2027 go fast, and the anglers who book early are the ones telling the stories next season.
Inquire about your 2027 Alaska trip today. Hook, line, and sinker, we think you'll be glad you did.
Let's go fishing!