White Marlin Open 2026

The White Marlin Open occurs during the first full week of August every year.  Hundreds of boats enter the hunt for the biggest fish so they can take home a piece of the prize money.  This fishing tournament is the largest billfishing tournament in the world! Before the great storm of 1933, which cut the inlet we're familiar with today, Ocean City was an isolated fishing village. Since then, Ocean City has not only become one of the country's top vacation resorts, but it's also garnered the reputation as the White Marlin Capital of the World. World-class fishing takes place off Ocean City's shores every season.  August, however, is the biggest month for sport fishing because anglers from across the globe come to Ocean City for a chance to hook record-breaking white and blue marlin, tuna, wahoo, and sharks.  The prize money is big.  For 2025, approximately 282 boats fished with 2.5 thousand anglers. They competed for an estimated $7.3 million in prize money with a 3.9 million top prize.

2025 Links:

Overall Leaderboard

Payouts by Entry Level

Top Anglers & Boats

Payouts by Fish

Tournament Registration

If you're an angler wishing to participate, register on the tournament's website for your chance to reel in a life-changing fish.  Registration for 2026 is $1,850 per boat.

There are many ways to watch the White Marlin Open - not just the weigh-ins, but the Marlin Fest, the boats heading out at 4 am from the inlet, and the boats headed back to Harbour Island for the weigh-ins.  

If you can't be in Ocean City to watch, you can always tune in to the best live webcams in Ocean City tuned into the action.  

Harbour Island

Harbour Island at 14th Street and the Bay is the home to the official scales.  This is an exciting place to be and can get very crowded.  Go early, set up your spot.  Bring a blanket and sit back and relax and enjoy the crowd.  Weigh-ins begin and 4 pm and run until about 9:30 pm.  The Town usually has a shuttle set up if you want to park at the Convention Center.  Otherwise, get there early to find a parking spot on the street.

Marlin Fest at the Inlet

If you want a little more breathing room, but you still like the in-person feel of a festival, head to Marlin Fest at the Inlet parking lot.  You will be able to see the boats head back to Harbour Island with their catches and flying the flags showing what they caught.  There will be a live-stream of the weigh-ins as well as live music, vendors, and more.

Along the water to see the Boats

Lots of people head to the inlet to watch the boats go out early in the morning when Marlin Fest activities are all asleep.  There or along the inlet by the Oceanic Motel (or from the Oceanic Motel balconies) or from the Bayside Park at 3rd Street.

From waterfront bars or restaurants 

Who doesn't love to eat and drink while being entertained?  We recommend:

• The Wedge - on the inlet

• Spain - on top of the Cambria Hotel with a great view of the entire inlet area and Assateague.

• The View - inside the Cambria - right at boat level with an outside deck area.

• The Angler - a view like their webcam but with better food and drinks:-)

• Beach Barrels - on some of their 13 High Definition TV's with an incredible sound system!  

Two of the bars or restaurants where you can watch the boats come in for the White Marlin Open have webcams on OceanCity.com.  These webcams show you the view so if you can't be here in person to join us for refreshments, then you can still enjoy the same view from their live webcams in Ocean City, Maryland. If you want to see the crowds you might encounter and you want to see what Harbour Island looks like from the air, check out this video.