Description
May 2nd & 3rd, 2026
Important event information and links:
| RULES |
| Entry Form |
| Itinerary |
What’s happening at the 2026 Striper Derby?
– Locations-
Check In: Friday May 1st 4:00PM – 6:30PM
Loco’s Bar And Cocina
150 Swanson Ave Lake Havasu City AZ 86403
Weigh-In: Saturday May 2nd 1:00PM – 4:00PM & Sunday May 3rd 11:00am – 1:00M
Havasu Riviera Marina Docks – Must approach by boat – no drive-up weigh ins allowed
Awards Ceremony: Sunday May 3rd at 3:30PM
Loco’s Bar And Cocina
150 Swanson Ave Lake Havasu City AZ 86403
- Big Fish High Roller’s optional: Throw in an additional $100 on top of your all-inclusive $275 team entry fee and be included in the new High Roller’s optional for a shot at a big payday for the three heaviest striped bass in the division.
- NEW FOR 2026: GOON FISH OPTIONAL: $100 optional buy-in, weigh the biggest non-bass species each day to earn the daily optional jackpot prize for your team – striper-largemount-smallmouth excluded from this optional. Can weigh-in catfish, carp, bluegill, crappie. Limited to one fish weighed per day per team team. This is the single biggest “Goon Fish” EACH DAY. Contestants are responsible for their fish after weighing in. Payout is 80% of the prize pool – split in half for day 1 and day 2.
- General Big Fish payouts down to 5th place: Whereas in previous years the general Big Fish payouts went to the 3 biggest overall fish at Striper Derby, payouts will now go out to the anglers catching the 5 largest fish of the event.
- Multiple teams on one boat: Back again for 2026, more than one team may fish the Derby from the same boat – including but not limited to one-angler “teams,” which will also now be allowed at Striper Derby.
- One-division team competition: Striper Derby will consist of one, lone division including every registered team, with prizes and trophies going to the top-10 finishers of the event.
- All Teams Must weigh-in by boat: All tournament fish must be presented to the scales via boat ONLY at Havasu Riviera Marina South Docks. No walk-in or drive-in fish will be accepted by tournament staff!
- All “BIG FISH” submissions: All big fish presented for top 5 Big Fish prizes or money, must be filmed at time of landing said fish. Cell phone video proof of that fish must be accompanied to verify the time and day the fish was landed. Video proof is required before the award show begins.
Western Outdoor News and the city of Lake Havasu are proud to be hosting the 44th anniversary of the Lake Havasu Striper Derby this coming May 2-3, 2026.
Entry Fees Explained:
Base Entry: $175 per team – Includes your basic entry and chance to win tackle prizes, trophies and many other certificates, including your Striper Derby hat and T-shirts for both team members.
All-In: $275 per team – Includes Blind Bogey entries at $40 each day ($80) plus $20 General Big Fish Option. The General Big Fish Option cash goes into the pool to be paid out to the five biggest stripers caught during the tournament based on 1st (35%), 2nd (20%), 3rd (20%), 4th (15%), 5th (10%). The blind bogey fund and gives the team a chance at winning a share of the random blind bogey weights. So whatever sized striper you catch, bring it in and weigh it and you might just be a cash winner, too. So for an extra $100 on top of your base entry, your team is “ALL IN.”
HIGH ROLLER: $375 per team – puts those choosing to lay down another $100 into a separate TOP 3 Big Fish pool to be paid back on to the angler with the 1st (50%), 2nd (30%), 3rd (20%) biggest Striper based on the number of anglers entered into the pool.
GOON FISH OPTIONAL: Additional $100 per team – weigh the biggest non-bass species each day to earn the daily optional jackpot prize for your team – striper-largemount-smallmouth excluded from this optional. Can weigh-in catfish, carp, bluegill, crappie. Limited to one fish weighed per day per team team. This is the single biggest “Goon Fish” EACH DAY. Contestants are responsible for their fish after weighing in. Payout is 80% of the prize pool – split in half for day 1 and day 2.
Mark the date for this year’s event on your calendar and plan to attend the largest, most lucrative striped bass fishing event in the United States. The sun, fun, and festivities await you and your family.
You can sign up for this event now by clicking on the links at the upper right of this page, or call Striper Derby Director Billy Egan at (949) 290-0582. See you at Lake Havasu in May!
