Fat Bear Week 2026: Vote for the Biggest Bear in Katmai, Alaska

Every fall, Katmai's brown bears gorge on salmon to make it through the winter, and the public votes for the chubbiest one. According to foxsanantonio.com, this 12th edition of Fat Bear Week has been open for voting since September 23, 2026, with the results landing on the 29th. If you're planning a trip to this remote corner of Alaska, it's the perfect chance to get to know the locals before you ever set foot there.

The idea stays simple. Per foxsanantonio.com, sixteen bears face off in a single-elimination bracket, a bit like a sports tournament, and you call each matchup. Votes go in at fatbearweek.org, again according to that same source. No plane ticket required, since the whole thing plays out online.

A few numbers are worth a look. The reigning champ, Bear 32, nicknamed Chunk, was estimated at roughly 1,200 pounds in 2025, foxsanantonio.com notes. He'll have to contend with Bear 903, known as Gully, described as a descendant of Grazer, herself a two-time champion. The biggest males top 990 pounds before hibernation, a size that alone explains all the buzz around this contest.

To grasp the scale of it, consider the figure foxsanantonio.com cites. The preserve is home to about 2,200 brown bears, one of the highest densities anywhere in the world. That's why Katmai has become a premier spot for wildlife watching, and it's what we dig into in the Katmai park guide to help you plan your visit.

Want to see the contenders in action? explore.org's live cameras stream the bears through September 29, according to foxsanantonio.com. From home, you'll catch the same waterfall fishing scenes visitors see on site. It's also great scouting: watching the bears gather, you get a feel for the best time to plan your own trip and what you can really hope to spot along the banks.