Every fall, millions of people tune in to watch some of Alaska's fattest brown bears gorge on salmon ahead of winter hibernation. Fat Bear Week has evolved from a quirky online contest into one of the country's most popular wildlife events, drawing attention to the annual salmon run at Alaska's Katmai National Park and the importance of healthy ecosystems. The stars of Fat Bear Week 2026 are bigger than ever, but the annual contest is about more than which brown bear packed on the most pounds before hibernation.
This year's tournament features a mix of defending champions, rising heavyweights and bears with remarkable survival stories. From reigning champion 32 Chunk, who overcame a broken jaw to capture last year's title, to 164 Bucky Dent, an emerging fan favorite known for his fishing prowess, the competition offers voters a chance to celebrate the resilience, adaptability and success of some of the largest brown bears on Earth. As voting begins, fans will be watching to see whether Chunk can repeat as champion, whether veterans like 151 Walker can reclaim the spotlight, or whether newer contenders such as 903 Gully can ride their growing popularity to a Fat Bear Week crown.
The result may be decided by fatness, but the stories behind the bears are what keep millions of viewers coming back each year. Newsweek reached out to the Department of the Interior, which oversees the National Park Service, by email Saturday for comment. Chunk is one of the most recognizable contenders in Katmai National Park's Fat Bear Week competition.
Named for his stocky build, Chunk is known for packing on impressive amounts of weight during the annual salmon run, transforming from a relatively lean summer bear into one of the river's largest bears by fall. "In 2025, he returned with a broken jaw and missing teeth but continued to feed successfully," Katmai Conservancy's website said. Unlike some of Katmai's longtime fan favorites, Chunk's appeal comes from his dramatic seasonal weight gain.
Photos often show him becoming nearly unrecognizable as he prepares for hibernation, making him a strong contender in a contest that celebrates the bears that best embody pre-winter success. If there's a bear poised to dethrone Chunk, it may be 164 Bucky Dent. Described by Explore.org as an "ace fisher-bear," Bucky Dent has emerged as one of Brooks River's most skilled salmon catchers.
Still relatively young compared with some of Katmai's veterans, he represents the next generation of dominant male bears and has quickly developed a loyal following among Fat Bear Week fans. Another familiar face in this year's bracket is 151 Walker, one of the river's most dominant adult males. Walker has been a regular presence at Brooks Falls for years, where his size and confidence often allow him to secure prime fishing locations.
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