Heaviest Fish
60% OF THE PRIZE POOLS
The King of the Feather. The single heaviest king salmon on the certified scale after a month of fishing takes the biggest share — and the title.
KING OF
THE FEATHER
King Salmon Fishing Tournament August 15th - September 15th Feather River, Oroville, CA
Compete solo or in a team, 3 cash prizes. Prize pool building from 2,000.
LINES IN
Aug 15 · One hour before sunrise
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Days
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Hours
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Minutes
REGISTRATION OPEN
Status
The comeback season
The first ever in history sanctioned tournament on this river.
Three years of closure. One comeback season. We took the best part of the season and turned it into month long tournament: fish when you want, weigh & measure what you catch, and let one fish write your name into the river's history. Somebody will be the first King of the Feather. Forever.
This river is family water for us. This is the water we grew up on, and 2026 is the season it comes all the way back.
One month, three cash prize pools, and the biggest kings take it all. Every legal fishing day from lines in on August 15 to the final scale close at 8:00 PM on September 15 counts. Weigh & measure unlimited fish, the biggest takes the most cash & the biggest bragging rights.
Three cash prize pools · Three winners take all.
Three ways one fish wins money.
80% of every entry fee goes straight into the prize pools. Each pool is winner-take-all - and one fish can sweep more than one. Pool sizes grow with the field.
Longest Fish
20% OF THE PRIZE POOLS
Nose to tail on the official board. Heaviest doesn't always mean longest — the tape gives a second fish a payday.
Final Week Big Fish
20% OF THE PRIZE POOLS
The heaviest king weighed September 9–15. The late push gets its own money — enter in week four and you're still fishing for a full pool.
The Captain's Belt. Working guides enter the Belt race — the Belt goes to the guide whose boat puts the most verified fish on the board during the tournament. The Belt program →
THE REMAINING 20% RUNS THE TOURNAMENT. EVERY FISH IS VERIFIED ON-SITE AT THE WEIGH STATION. FULL PAYOUT TERMS IN THE OFFICIAL RULES.
Registration
Pick your ticket. Fish the month.
Every full entry fishes every legal fishing day, lines-in to final scale close, in all three prize pools. Enter late? The Final Week Big Fish pool was built for you.
| Entry | Who it's for | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lone Wolf18+ | One angler, one month, all three prize pools. Weigh unlimited fish — only your biggest fish counts. Includes the Founding Sponsor Perks Pass and the Official Rules PDF with your receipt. | $100 | Enter solo |
| Team of 2 | One entry, two named anglers, one leaderboard line. Either of you can weigh fish for the team, all month long, in all three pools. Includes two Perks Passes. | $175 | Enter a pair |
| Team of 3 | Three anglers, one entry, one shot at the crown. Any team member can weigh fish for the team through the final scale close. Includes three Perks Passes. | $250 | Enter a crew |
| Day-Pass18+ | Bank or boat, guided or on your own — twenty dollars puts your fish on the board for all three prize pools for one full fishing day.Must book by 8:00 PM the night before you fish; your pass is issued in your name for your selected date. Your $20 credits toward any full entry within 48 hours of your fishing day. Contact tournament director. No limit on day passes. | $20 | Book a day |
| Captain's BeltWorking guides | Enter the Belt race — most verified fish on the board wins the Belt. Get advertised and featured in every tournament promotion. Guide any registered angler or team either way; the Belt and the spotlight are what the $250 buys. Not an entry into the prize pools. | $250 | Register your boat |
Registration includes acceptance of the Official Tournament Rules, liability waiver, catch-verification consent, and media release. Anglers 16 and older need a valid California sport fishing license. Minors (under 18) fish as named anglers on a Team of 2 or Team of 3 entry with a signed Guardian Addendum — Lone Wolf and Day-Pass are 18+. This is a skill-based fishing contest operated under CDFW Contest Permit [NO.]. All times Pacific.
How it works
Catch it. Bring it. Watch the board.
01 Fish the water
Tournament water runs the Afterbay Outlet ramp → East Gridley Road Bridge. Your boat, the bank, or a guided deck. Legal methods, legal limits, your license, full CDFW compliance.
02 Hit a weigh window
The weigh station runs daily at the Vance Avenue Outlet parking lot: 12:00–1:00 PM and 6:30–8:00 PM. In line by close, you get weighed. Same-day fish only — bring it whole and on ice, the day you catch it.
03 Get verified
Every fish is verified on-site — the protocol that protects your standing protects everyone's. It's the most verified fish on the river, which is exactly why winning here means something.
04 Follow the board
Standings post every night. Watch the leaders, the Belt race, and the daily catches all month on Instagram @@blacktailheaven and right here. Every entrant gets the Founding Sponsor Perks Pass — local offers from the businesses backing the tournament, redeemable all month.
No boat? No problem.
Fish it from a guided deck.
The river's working guides are in this — battling for the Captain's Belt — and their decks are your way in. Book a trip during the tournament, grab a $20 Day-Pass by 8:00 PM the night before (or hold a full entry), and every fish you land fishes all three prize pools.
First full season back. Proven water. A month-long shot at the crown from a professional's boat.
Guides: enter the Belt race
Belt-race captains — 2026
- [CAPTAIN NAME · BOAT · BOOKING #]
- [CAPTAIN NAME · BOAT · BOOKING #]
- + Your name here, Captain.
Founding sponsors
Backed by Oroville.
One local business per category, all season. Every entrant receives the Founding Sponsor Perks Pass — local offers from the businesses backing the tournament, redeemable all month.
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Questions
Straight answers.
Can I enter after August 15?
Yes — registration stays open all month, and every full entry fishes all three prize pools from the day you enter. The Final Week Big Fish pool (heaviest king weighed September 9–15) means even a week-four entry is fishing for a full winner-take-all pool.
Do I need a fishing license?
Anglers 16 and older need a valid California sport fishing license every day they fish, plus full compliance with CDFW regulations. A fishing violation during the tournament is an automatic disqualification.
Can kids fish it?
Yes. Minors (under 18) fish as named anglers on a Team of 2 or Team of 3 entry with a signed Guardian Addendum from their own parent or legal guardian. Lone Wolf and Day-Pass entries are 18+. A kid who weighs a salmon at a tournament scale remembers it for life.
Where and when do I weigh a fish?
At the official weigh station in the Vance Avenue Outlet parking lot, daily from 12:00–1:00 PM and 6:30–8:00 PM. If you're in line by close, you get weighed. Same-day fish only — bring it whole and on ice, the day you catch it.
Can I fish from the bank?
Absolutely. Bank anglers enter like anyone else and fish the same three prize pools — and the $20 Day-Pass works from the bank too. Half this river's best fish get caught with two boots on gravel.
How do I know it's fair?
Every fish is verified on-site at the weigh station, and every leaderboard contender is verified before any prize money moves — the full protocol is published in the Official Rules. We built this to be the most verified tournament in Northern California, because year one's reputation is the whole ballgame.
What does my entry fee fund?
80% of every entry fee goes straight into the three prize pools — 60% Heaviest Fish, 20% Longest Fish, 20% Final Week Big Fish — each winner-take-all. The remaining 20% runs the tournament. Sponsor revenue is separate and doesn't touch the pools. Full payout terms are in the Official Rules.