The Copper River begins life as the Copper Glacier on mighty Mt. Wrangell. Covering more than 300 miles as it journeys toward the sea, the Copper River courses through some of the most rugged and treacherous landscape in the country. Towering walls of imposing rock forming narrow canyons studded with giant boulders, racing currents and eddies, treacherous twists and turns, and a overall drop in elevation of 3,600 feet all combine to make the Copper River an almost uninhabitable environment. Almost, except for the toughest of salmon!

Working against a fast current that averages 10 m.p.h, the salmon that return to the Copper River begin the fight of their lives. Dodging rocks and trees, crumbling glaciers, hungry grizzlies and eagles, these salmon begin the dangerous 300 mile journey upstream to their spawning grounds.

But the story of the salmon begins before the journey; it is in their preparations for the trip that the Copper River salmon become the delicious fish that we wait for.

Driven by nature to return to the river of their birth to spawn, the salmon of the Copper River must become the biggest and the strongest of Alaska’s fish. Building up a reserve of fat and muscle to power them back to the foot of the Wrangell Glacier takes all summer long. When the time comes to enter the mouth of the river, they are big and strong, with huge muscles fueled by omega-3 fatty acids.

Once the salmon enter the mouth of the river, they will not eat again. It is at this point that they are at their biggest and strongest. This is when our fishermen are catching the salmon that we offer to you.

The Copper River salmon season is one of the most closely regulated seasons in the world. Yearly quotas are dependant on escapement numbers, which indicate the number of salmon that have successfully passed through counters on their way upstream. Adequate escapement numbers will ensure generations of salmon for decades to come.

Copper River salmon are among the first salmon to begin their spawn, and that, along with their unmatchable flavor and quality makes them the most coveted salmon in the world.

All of our Copper River salmon is gill net caught, with the majority of salmon removed while still alive, so that they can be quickly processed and iced. Our salmon fishermen practice a very selective, environmentally friendly method of gillnetting that is safely provides the highest quality salmon to our customers. They are also equipped and licensed to process right on board their vessels to ensure the highest quality product. 

 

The fisheries in around the state of Alaska carefully regulate the length and depth of the nets that are used.    The size of the mesh used for the nets also ensures that only regulation size salmon will be caught – smaller fish or other species are able to pass through unharmed. Seasons are also carefully regulated, and are opened and closed over 12, 24, or 48 hour periods depending on the migration patterns of the salmon. 

Our team along the Copper River is spearheaded by Mike and Michelle Poole, and thier sons Ashton and Micha.  Veterans of the Alaskan fishing scene, the Pooles will provide us with the highest quality king and sockeye salmon that the Midwest has ever seen. The Poole’s are hard at work as you read this, fishing off their boats, the F/V Gussie, the F/V China Cat, and the F/V Midnight Express, each of which is equipped with full processing capabilities, so the fish remain in their hands until they are shipped, direct to Plitt!