YOUR SHOT AT A CONTEST TITLE AND PRIZES
Ever dreamed of landing a tournament-winning Alaska king salmon? Make it happen at Waterfall Resort, where the King of Kings Salmon Tournament is a highlight of the fishing season. Go for “King of the Day” or “King of Kings.” Prizes are awarded for the king catch of the day, the week, the month, and the season, and include tournament caps, fishing gear, return trips to Waterfall Resort, and cash prizes. Pictured above, entrant Dave Wood, who took second place in 2017 with his 46.6-pounder.
This annual contest is available only to Waterfall Resort guests, and we’re happy to include your tournament ticket when you make your reservations. Tickets are $125 per entrant; to participate, contact us at 800-544-5125.
DON'T MISS THE KING OF THE DAY
Want a taste of the action from wherever you are?
Sign up for our new King of the Day text alerts and we’ll send you a daily photo of the biggest king salmon catch, straight from the docks.
2025 KING OF THE DAY LEADERBOARD
| Place | Date | Name | Weight | Hometown | Type |
| 1st | 6/15 | Candace Gillespie | 38.3 | Heath Texas | King |
| 2nd | 7/1 | Michael Peacock | 34.6 | Mesquite, NV | King |
| 3rd | 7/4 | Lloyd Loncosky | 34.0 | Columbia City, OR | King |
| 4th | 7/2 | MarioPerla | 33.1 | Mercer Island, WA | King |
| 5th | 7/5 | Yang Yang | 32.2 | Santa Clara, CA | King |
| 6th | 8/17 | Michael Pierce | 31.5 | Kemah, TX | King |
| 7th | 6/14 | Kolby Colledge | 30.7 | Highland, UT | King |
| 8th | 8/4 | Brenda Wolfe | 30.0 | Boise, ID | King |
| 9th | 7/3 | Derek Edwards | 28.8 | Seattle, WA | King |
| 10th | 8/14 | Patrick Duffer | 28.3 | Overland Park, KS | King |
| 11th | 6/30 | Leonard Roll | 28.1 | Spokane, WA | King |
| 12th | 6/12 | Weston Hwang | 27.9 | Mission Viejo, CA | King |
| 13th | 6/21 | Rudy Verdugo | 27.6 | Oceanside, CA | King |
| 14th | 8/18 | Ryna Schultze | 27.6 | Johns Creek, GA | King |
| 15th | 8/8 | James Hanson | 27.1 | Graham, WA | King |
| 16th | 6/18 | Mike Arnold | 26.7 | Kents Store, VA | King |
| 17th | 6/27 | Dana Gandy | 26.5 | Anacortes, WA | King |
| 18th | 6/29 | Ken Dole | 26.4 | Prescott, AZ | King |
| 19th | 6/19 | Tucker Zibilich | 26.3 | Seattle, WA | King |
| 20th | 6/28 | Allison Brook | 26.0 | Shoreline, WA | King |
| 21st | 8/10 | John Hopkins | 26.0 | Bigfork, MT | King |
| 22nd | 8/5 | Kasey Bateman | 25.6 | Herber City, UT | King |
| 23rd | 6/9 | Conrad Kahlig | 25.4 | New Braunfels, TX | King |
| 24th | 6/11 | Allen Bayer | 25.0 | Columbus, TX | King |
| 25th | 6/26 | Galand Hallowell | 24.6 | Durham, CA | King |
| 26th | 8/7 | Rhianon Mendoza | 23.6 | Santa Barbara, CA | King |
| 27th | 7/6 | Dennis Clancy | 23.5 | Mount Vernon, WA | King |
| 28th | 8/15 | Gary Radz | 23.3 | Englewood, CO | King |
| 29th | 6/13 | Anthony Vitale | 23.0 | Ventura, CA | King |
| 30th | 6/10 | Eleanor Kahlig | 22.6 | New Braunfels, TX | King |
| 31st | 6/23 | Gloria Vail | 22.5 | Rockford, WA | King |
| 32nd | 8/6 | Richard Cromwell | 22.5 | McCormick SC | King |
| 33rd | 6/24 | Bryan Bucl | 22.4 | Wichita, KS | King |
| 34th | 8/13 | Dan Oakes | 22.3 | Overland Park, KS | King |
| 35th | 6/22 | Kenny Parkerson | 22.2 | San Juan Capistrano, CA | King |
| 36th | 8/16 | Nathan Waite | 21.6 | Yuba City, CA | King |
| 37th | 7/18 | Mary Wanzer | 21.2 | Ketchikan, AK | King |
| 38th | 6/17 | Doug Judson | 19.4 | Fairbanks, AK | King |
| 39th | 6/25 | Kelly Boyd | 19.2 | Mill Valley, CA | King |
| 40th | 6/20 | Theresa Aldridge | 19.0 | San Luis Obispo, CA | King |
| 41st | 8/12 | George Lowe | 18.5 | Arlington, VA | King |
| 42nd | 8/11 | John Minge | 18.2 | Anchorage, AK | King |
| 43rd | 7/15 | Peter Boskufsky | 17.8 | Anchorage, AK | King |
| 44th | 6/16 | Jim Sandbeck | 17.5 | East Grand Forks, MN | King |
| 45th | 7/14 | Patrick Duke | 17.5 | Anchorage, AK | King |
| 46th | 7/17 | Terry Wanzer | 14.6 | Ketchikan, AK | Silver |
| 47th | 7/16 | Lauren Sommer | 14.0 | Anchorage, AK | Silver |
| 48th | 7/24 | Mike Christensen | 12.4 | Tacoma, WA | Silver |
| 49th | 7/11 | Josh Geier | 12.1 | Fairbanks, AK | Silver |
| 50th | 7/23 | Michael Strawbridge | 11.8 | Apex, NC | Silver |
| 51st | 7/8 | Nick Glaze | 11.5 | Terrell, TX | Silver |
| 52nd | 7/19 | Eric Dickey | 11.1 | Dallas, TX | Silver |
| 53rd | 7/18 | Michael Ohr | 11.0 | Lakeside, CA | Silver |
| 54th | 7/22 | Edwin Dropps | 10.7 | Blaine, MN | Silver |
| 55th | 7/26 | Mike Myers | 10.6 | Dana Point CA | Silver |
| 56th | 7/25 | Reece Myers | 10.5 | Dana Point CA | Silver |
| 57th | 8/3 | Lance Funk | 10.3 | American Falls ID | Silver |
| 58th | 7/21 | Joe Brown | 10.0 | Mcallen TX | Silver |
| 59th | 7/31 | Caeden Jeppesen | 10.0 | Champlin MN 55316 | Silver |
| 60th | 7/15 | Timothy Secory | 9.8 | Urbandale, IA | Silver |
| 61st | 7/20 | Dennis Olson | 9.7 | Missions Viejo, CA | Silver |
| 62nd | 8/1 | Erick Nelle | 9.6 | Rocklin CA 96765 | Silver |
| 63rd | 8/2 | Steele Roberts | 9.6 | Anderson CA | Silver |
| 64th | 7/13 | Randy Norwood | 9.5 | Merritt Island, FL | Silver |
| 65th | 7/7 | Nina Sharp | 9.3 | Valley Center, LA | Silver |
| 66th | 7/17 | Trevor Burgis | 9.3 | Douro- Dumme, ON | Silver |
| 67th | 7/12 | Bob Whaley | 9.2 | Grover Beach, CA | Silver |
| 68th | 7/16 | Matt Ausman | 9.1 | Waxhaw, NC | Silver |
| 69th | 7/27 | Alex Boggs | 9.0 | La Canada CA | Silver |
| 70th | 7/30 | Alex Boggs | 9.0 | La Canada CA | Silver |
| 71st | 7/29 | Kyle Dylewski | 8.9 | Newport Beach, CA | Silver |
| 72nd | 7/14 | Kyle Jessee | 8.8 | Holladay, UT | Silver |
| 73rd | 7/10 | Jeremy Kearns | 8.7 | Puyallup, WA | Silver |
| 74th | 7/28 | Logan Boggs | 8.2 | La Canada CA | Silver |
| 75th | 7/11 | Tim Kujawski | 7.5 | Pleasant Hill, CA | Silver |
You can check out all of our 2025 King of the Day catches HERE.
2025 TOURNAMENT PRIZES
Grand Prize
All King of the Day winners qualify for the Grand Prize Ford F-150 Truck
King of Kings
The largest king salmon of the season lands the angler a cash prize of $10,000.
Silver of the Month
Catch the largest silver salmon for the month of June, July, or August and win a cash prize of $2,500.
King of the Week
The largest king salmon caught each week wins the angler a three-night fishing trip for one person at Waterfall Resort in 2023.
King of the Day
Land the largest king salmon of the day and win a King of the Day hat, awarded at dinner that evening. Every time you win this prize, you also earn an entry for the Grand Prize drawing.
Prize list provided as an example only; prizes subject to change.
PRIOR YEARS’ WINNERS
2024 King of the Day Leaderboard
| 1st | 7/20 | Jim Lockart | 59.5 | West Sacramento, CA |
| 2nd | 6/19 | Neal Busiman | 48.3 | Summit, NJ |
| 3rd | 7/1 | Robert Konoske | 37.9 | College Grove, TN |
| 4th | 6/24 | Isla Dowst | 36.9 | Marlow, NH |
| 5th | 6/22 | Frank Martinez | 36 | Tucson, AZ |
| 6th | 7/19 | Mike Jackson | 35.3 | Patterson, CA |
| 7th | 6/30 | Spencer Vernon | 34.8 | Tustin, CA |
| 8th | 7/28 | Jerzy Poprawa | 34.6 | Scottsdale, AZ |
| 9th | 8/5 | Brylee Thomas | 34.1 | Ardmore, OK |
| 10th | 7/14 | Josh Kirk | 33.9 | Madera, CA |
2023 King of the Day Leaderboard
| Place | Date | Name | Pounds | Hometown |
| 1st | 7/15 | Dave Faccio | 53.6 | Tempe, AZ |
| 2nd | 7/21 | Rod Riddle | 45.5 | Yuba City, CA |
| 3rd | 6/30 | Dan Fink | 40.5 | Pleasant Hill, CA |
| 4th | 8/11 | Ryan Anderson | 39.1 | Snoqualmie, WA |
| 5th | 7/21 | Art Fink | 36.8 | Hayward, CA |
| 6th | 6/21 | Lance Ballew | 35.8 | Wenatchee, WA |
| 7th | 6/25 | Robert Sencer | 35.4 | Magnolia, TX |
| 8th | 7/23 | Mike Bolen | 35.1 | Newport Beach, CA |
| 9th | 8/4 | Thomas Fortune | 34.2 | South Jordan, UT |
| 10th | 7/23 | David Kang | 33.8 | San Clemente, |
See All the 2023 King of the Day Photos on Facebook
2022 King of the Day Leaderboard
| Place | Date | Name | Pounds | Hometown |
|
1st |
7/20 |
Kaz Kanemura |
52.2 |
Elk Grove, CA |
|
2nd |
7/2 |
Ara Goll |
46.2 |
Henderson, NV |
|
3rd |
7/17 |
Nelson Wheeler |
45.7 |
Scottsdale, AZ |
|
4th |
7/4 |
Lloyd Bolton |
44.7 |
Featherville, ID |
|
5th |
6/21 |
Tom Williams |
44.1 |
Riverhead, NY |
|
6th |
7/3 |
Valerie Holloway |
40.2 |
Ripon, CA |
|
7th |
8/5 |
Richard DeFrank |
39.2 |
Huntington Beach, CA |
|
8th |
7/15 |
Dave Wood |
38.7 |
Waterford, CA |
|
9th |
8/01 |
Kyle Dylewski |
38.6 |
Costa Mesa, CA |
|
10th |
7/30 |
Haley Bolen |
38.4 |
Newport Beach, CA |
See All the 2022 King of the Day Photos on Facebook
2021 Top 10 King of the Day Winners
| Place | Date | Name | Pounds | Hometown |
| 1st | 19-Jul | Jeff Walker | 50.2 | Cardiff by the Sea, CA |
| 2nd | 13-Jul | Mark Hallam | 46 | Prospect, KY |
| 3rd | 21-Jul | Connor McShane | 44.2 | Commerce, MI |
| 4th | 22-Jul | Nick Simons | 42 | Reno, NV |
| 5th | 17-Jul | Dane Lucas | 41.4 | Seattle, WA |
| 6th | 2-Jul | Jerzy Poprawa | 41.3 | Scottsdale, AZ |
| 7th | 24-Jul | Jud Heflin | 39.3 | Colleyville, TX |
| 8th | 3-Jul | Eric Driggers | 38.3 | Bainbridge Island, WA |
| 9th | 8-Jul | Kaelan Brennan | 37.4 | Albuquerque, NM |
| 10th | 27-Jul | Scott Karpinen | 37 | Granite Bay, CA |
See All the 2021 King of the Day Photos on Facebook
2020 Top 10 King of the Day Winners
| Place | Date | Name | Pounds | Hometown |
| 1st | 7/28 | Jerzy Porawa | 46.4 | Scottsdale, AZ |
| 2nd | 8/02 | Jason Perkins | 45.6 | Irvine, CA |
| 3rd | 8/06 | Larry Shurtliff | 45.1 | Gunlock, UT |
| 4th | 7/24 | Mark Burch | 42.2 | Lincoln, NE |
| 5th | 7/18 | Bob Britt Sr. | 42.1 | Vancouver, WA |
| 6th | 7/21 | John Solis | 40.6 | Signal Hill, CA |
| 7th | 7/27 | Bryce Faliskie | 39.9 | Denver, CO |
| 8th | 8/04 | John Morgan | 39.4 | Mazama, WA |
| 9th | 7/13 | Jim Daniel | 39.2 | Foothill Ranch, CA |
| 10th | 7/24 | Brent Mournahan | 39.1 | Ooltewah, TN |
See All the 2020 King of the Day Photos on Facebook
2019 Top 10 King of the Day Winners
| Place | Date | Name | Pounds | Hometown |
| 1st | 7/31 | Ethan Berto | 58.2 | Ketchikan, AK |
| 2nd | 8/16 | Sunjit Joshi | 48.2 | Glen Cove, NY |
| 3rd | 7/02 | Fred Goll | 46.7 | Henderson, NV |
| 4th | 7/21 | Keith Costanzo | 46.4 | Valencia, CA |
| 5th | 7/20 | Bill Buckner | 45.2 | Costa Mesa, CA |
| 6th | 6/30 | Jackson Risher | 43.3 | Huntington Beach, CA |
| 7th | 7/13 | Brian Bothman | 42.5 | Santa Clara, CA |
| 8th | 7/08 | Tim Zimmer | 42.0 | Port Angeles, WA |
| 9th | 7/17 | John Lazovich | 41.0 | Reno, NV |
| 10th | 7/11 | Ryo Ishizuka | 40.5 | Mercer Island, WA |
See All the 2019 King of the Day Photos on Facebook
2018 Top 10 King of the Day Winners
| Place | Date | Name | Pounds | Hometown |
| 1st | 7/16 | Tony Perkins |
48.2 | Kirkland, WA |
| 2nd | 8/03 | Andre Burchette |
47.8 | Phoenix, AZ |
| 3rd | 7/13 | Ronda Ritchie |
45.9 | Smith River, CA |
| 4th | 6/25 | Jeremiah Newens |
41.5 | Martinez, CA |
| 5th | 8/18 | Joe Quigley |
40.4 | Maitland, FL |
| 6th | 7/25 | Steve Teskey |
40.0 | San Juan Capistrano, CA |
| 7th | 7/20 | Evan Gibson |
39.5 | Santa Ana, CA |
| 8th | 6/28 | Mike Vestal |
37.6 | Dublin, GA |
| 9th | 8/09 | Dave Huffman |
37.2 | Mercer Island, WA |
| 10th | 7/14 | Dan Wilson |
37.1 | Fargo, ND |
2017 Top 10 King of the Day Winners
| Place | Date | Name | Pounds | Hometown |
| 1st | 7/20 | Bob Dahlstrom | 53.5 | Sherman Oaks, CA |
| 2nd | 7/14 | Dave Wood | 46.6 | Waterford, CA |
| 3rd | 7/28 | Jason McLaren |
46.4 | Aurora, CO |
| 4th | 7/31 | Brent Smith |
45.2 | Pasadena, CA |
| 5th | 7/24 | Kevin Schmok |
44.1 | Katy, TX |
| 6th | 6/28 | Dave Leclair |
43.0 | Anchorage, AK |
| 7th | 6/08 | Mary Judson |
41.4 | Fairbanks, AK |
| 8th | 7/23 | Dennis Noggle |
40.0 | Simsonville, SC |
| 9th | 7/15 | Dick Braden |
39.4 | Hughson, CA |
| 10th | 7/11 | Greg Oakman |
37.9 | Sydney, AUS |
| See All the 2017 King of the Day Photos on Facebook | ||||
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2016 Top 10 King of the Day Winners
| Place | Date | Name | Pounds | Hometown |
| 1st | 7/30 | Jennifer Porter |
50.6 | San Francisco, CA |
| 2nd | 7/22 | Fritz Westerhout | 50.0 | Newport Beach, CA |
| 3rd | 7/24 | Mark Wheeler | 49.2 | Encinitas, CA |
| 4th | 6/12 | Peter Forman | 49.0 | Boca Raton, FL |
| 5th | 7/18 | Julie Rielly | 48.7 | Newport Coast, CA |
| 6th | 8/13 | Elizabeth Dinsmore |
47.8 | Danville, CA |
| 7th | 7/27 | Blake Hickey |
47.5 | Paradise Valley, AZ |
| 8th | 7/12 | John Lazovich |
47.3 | Reno, NV |
| 9th | 8/02 | Daniel Robbins |
46.5 | Paradise, CA |
| 10th | 7/27 | Jason Niemela |
46.2 | Santa Barbara, CA |
| See All the 2016 King of the Day Photos on Facebook | ||||
2015 Top 10 King of the Day Winners
| Place | Date | Name | Pounds | Hometown |
| 1st | 6/26 | Ken Bridges |
53.7 | Huntington Beach, CA |
| 2nd | 7/26 | Marty Meador |
52.6 | Encinitas, CA |
| 3rd | 7/19 | Brian Martin |
50.9 | Keizer, OR |
| 4th | 7/10 | Greg Shaw |
50.3 | Thousand Oaks, CA |
| 5th | 7/27 | Shawn Koehler |
50.2 | Paso Robles, CA |
| 6th | 8/05 | Dick Arnoldy |
49.7 | St. Louis, MO |
| 7th | 7/28 | Michael Martin |
48.9 | Alamogordo, NM |
| 8th | 7/13 | Hunter Schlander |
48.3 | Modesto, CA |
| 9th | 6/25 | Travis Roffler |
48.2 | Matthew, NC |
| 10th | 7/22 | Michael Moran |
47.5 | Mead, WA |
| See All the 2015 King of the Day Photos on Facebook | ||||
