39th Annual Lake Winnipesaukee Fishing Derby

On May 19-21, 2023, the 39th annual Winnipesaukee Fishing Derby will be presented by a partnership of the Laconia Rotary Club and the Daniel Webster Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Cash and prizes will be awarded for major catches of Landlocked Salmon and Lake Trout. Bystanders can watch as the fish are weighed in at the weigh station, located on Lakeside Avenue in Weirs Beach. Landlocked Salmon weights have declined from a six pound average in the past, to a four pound average currently. Perhaps this is why only about 1000 anglers now compete in the contest, down from a peak of about 2800 in 2001.

In 2024, the Derby will not be held, to give the fish an extra year to recover in numbers and size. Similar suspensions occurred in 2016 and 2020.