Category: Fishing

Here at CopperRiver.com we are serious about salmon. It’s delicious and nutritious, of course, but it’s also a pretty interesting fish.

The Copper River is home to three varieties of extremely popular wild salmon: chinook (king), sockeye, and coho salmon. These species, like all wild salmon, migrate each year. Salmon are anadromous fish that are born in freshwater, live out their lives in the saltwater of the ocean, and travel back to their birthplace to spawn and perish.

They lay their eggs on beds of gravel and the young salmon remain in freshwater rivers and lakes for as long as four years before making their way to the ocean. These are cold-water fish, born in icy rivers and streams and living out their adult lives in northern oceans. Copper River salmon species have lifespans ranging from five to nine years before they return to spawn.

Salmon are not the only anadromous fish, able to travel from freshwater to saltwater and back. Others include species of bass and trout. But it is salmon that are synonymous with the largest and most ecologically vital migrations.

The annual migrations from ocean to river are called salmon runs. Every type of wild salmon has a run, though the timing is dependent on the species. Copper River wild salmon varieties do not all run during the same months, making the fishing season longer than single species rivers.

Estimates put the number of salmon running on the Copper River at about two million per year. During these runs, the waters are teeming with fish that all have a single goal: spawning. The fish that run on the Copper River were born in the headwaters of the Copper River. Wild salmon return to their birthplace to reproduce, eliminating the need to search for the perfect breeding ground.

Experts aren’t certain how the wild salmon find their way back to their home rivers. The prevailing theory is that they use cues from the earth’s magnetic field to guide them to the mouth of the river. Once there, an acute sense of smell brings them through the freshwater to their familiar headwaters.

Copper River wild salmon are large species, using their powerful tails to fight the sometimes strong currents of the river to reach their breeding grounds. Salmon runs are a crucial part of the Copper River Basin ecosystem. As the fish travel upstream, they are harvested by local wildlife including bears and eagles. They are a subsistence food for native populations and a responsibly harvested delicacy for diners around the world.

Once the wild salmon run concludes in the quiet headwaters of the river, the adult salmon die, providing nutrients that support the ecosystems of the river, wetlands, and surrounding forests. Salmon are a keystone species on the Copper River, playing a vital role in the environmental health of the entire basin.

A Copper River salmon run is an incredible sight. This area is one of the largest and most abundant salmon fisheries in the world. Professional photographers capture amazing moments of grizzly bears and bald eagles fishing Alaska’s icy waters as the salmon battle the elements to reach the calm headwaters.

With vigilant management, plenty of salmon reach their breeding grounds each year, ensuring a continuing abundance of this natural wonder.

Sources: U.S. Gov, Wildlife Informer, Britannica

It’s no secret that Alaska’s Copper River produces the best wild salmon in the world. Delicious, nutritious, and available year-round, these fish are the best of the best. Sought after by chefs and fine dining establishments across the globe, they are sustainably harvested from the icy waters of this glorious river.

But what about the river itself? Let’s learn a little about the waters that are home to these prized wild salmon.

Copper River was named for the area’s rich deposits of copper. Alaskan natives and later Russian and U.S. settlers mined the mineral, though the conditions were harsh. More extensive mining came in the early 20^th century with the discovery of the Kennecott Mine and the establishment of a nearby town. Though the mine was abandoned long ago, the National Park Service maintains a historic area for visitors interested in the ghost town.

Attention soon turned to a different treasure of this magnificent river: salmon.

Copper River is no small stream. Its massive watershed contains the enormous Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, numerous creeks and rivers, trails, camping, museums, and a host of natural wonders. Copper River flows from the Copper Glacier through the Chugach Mountains, where it has carved a canyon to get to its ultimate destination, the Gulf of Alaska.

This vast natural area, located several hours northeast of Anchorage, supports one of the last bastions of abundant wild salmon. The 290 miles of the Copper River provide sustenance for wildlife, the Indigenous Ahtna community, and discerning diners worldwide.

The Ahtna have lived in the Copper Basin for centuries. They have extensive knowledge of the river and its ecosystems and have passed down their cultural expertise through generations. The salmon and other fish of the river have been an important part of the Ahtna economy for hundreds of years.

Over two million salmon arrive at the Copper River each year to spawn, returning to their birthplace. The waters are teeming with King, Coho, and Sockeye salmon, famously swimming upstream against the current. Both commercial and sport fishing are allowed on the river but are tightly controlled to sustain the bountiful population of these coveted fish.

Copper River is a gorgeous area, but it can also be rugged and difficult. The Alaskan wilderness is a formidable foe so make sure you have an experienced guide if you ever decide to visit. You’ll find a lot of nature, but not much in the way of accommodations.

Thankfully, you don’t have to catch your own Copper River wild salmon. Flash frozen portions are available all year; our salmon brings the taste of the wild to your plate.

Contact us for more information about obtaining some of this majestic delicacy for your kitchen.

Sources: State of Alaska, Wikipedia

Salmon lovers worldwide are offered a sometimes confounding number of choices. Not only are there many varieties of salmon, but some salmon are wild-caught and others come from salmon farms.

So what is the difference between farm-raised salmon and Copper River wild salmon? Let’s take a look at these very different methods of bringing salmon from the water to your table.

Copper River Wild Salmon

Copper River wild salmon is exactly that—wild. It hatches in cold, clear, freshwater rivers and travels to the ocean to grow. When it is time to spawn, these magnificent fish battle back up the river to the waters where they were born to lay eggs for a new generation.

They thrive on diets of insects, amphibians, and smaller fish.

There are three species of Copper River wild salmon. King (Chinook), Coho, and Sockeye run on this famous Alaskan river during the first salmon run each season. These Copper River species are among the most sought-after in the world for their rich flavors and deep red color.

Atlantic Salmon, once abundant, was overfished and is now an endangered species in the wild. Any Atlantic salmon you find on your plate comes from a salmon farm.

Catching Wild Salmon on the Copper River

Before any salmon are harvested in Alaskan waters, teams of marine biologists determine how many fish can be safely removed during a particular season. Regulations are put in place to ensure that the industry remains sustainable. These rivers supply fish for native populations and discerning diners worldwide.

Copper River wild salmon is caught using traditional methods. Alaska residents are allowed to use dip nets to catch up to 25 salmon per day (only one King per day). Visiting anglers rely on rod and reel or fly fishing to catch these prize fish.

The fish are flash-frozen on site so this culinary superstar is available year-round.

Farmed Salmon

The only way to legally obtain Atlantic Salmon is from a salmon farm. Fish farms are known as aquaculture (the same term covers the farming of shellfish and mollusks). Like their agricultural cousins, these farms are largely industrial facilities designed to produce as many fish as possible.

Farmed salmon are spawned and raised in man-made freshwater facilities. After about a year, they are big enough to be moved to large ocean nets. Here they grow for an additional two years before harvesting.

Farmed salmon are fed pellets made of fish meal, vegetables, and animal byproducts.

Done responsibly, fish farming is an extremely efficient, sustainable way of producing healthy, high-protein food for a hungry world. The industry is regulated, but there are still farms that keep too many fish in too small a space, leading to infection and disease. Just like traditional livestock, this means the addition of antibiotics that eventually end up on your plate.  

The fish also pale (literally) in comparison to their wild siblings.

Farmed salmon is not as lean as Copper River wild salmon, nor is it the vibrant pink we associate with these amazing fish. In fact, without supplements added to the fish pellets, the flesh of farmed salmon is a milky grey color. The flavor palette is also less varied and interesting.

Salmon connoisseurs will rarely if ever be satisfied with farmed fish. It lacks the nuanced flavor and texture of wild salmon.

Copper River Salmon is recognized as the best in the world. It is sustainably harvested and featured in fine-dining restaurants across the globe.