Did You Know?

Copper River salmon are all anadromous species, meaning they are born in fresh water, spend a year in the river system, up to five years in the ocean and eventually return to fresh water to spawn and complete their lifecycle. Little is known about how the fish find their way from stream to ocean and home again. Here are some frequently asked questions or little known facts you might not have known.

Fun facts about the Copper River salmon fishery:

    The Salmon
  • The strenuous 300-mile journey facing each salmon entering the Copper River produces the strongest, most flavorful salmon in the world.
  • Copper River salmon must fatten up before their long trip upriver, which accounts for their high oil content and world famous flavor.
  • The Copper River salmon actually ascend up 3600 ft. from the sea to their spawning grounds in one of Alaska’s fastest running rivers.
  • Salmon have been fished commercially on the Copper River Flats for over 100 years.

    The Fishery
  • Over 500 fishermen fish the Copper River Flats each year.
  • Each year, the processors (canneries) have a Big King contest, offering a cash reward to the fisherman who catches the largest King salmon.
  • The winner of the Big King contest is usually well over 60 pounds each year.
  • Most of the fishing boats, called bowpickers, are only fished by one person.
  • The Copper River area’s southernmost point, the tip of Kayak island, is not far from where Vitus Bering is claimed to have landed in Alaska.
  • The Copper River fishery is primarily served by the community of Cordova, Alaska.
  • The Copper River has numerous tributaries called sloughs, where many boats prefer to fish, protected from the swell of the Pacific Ocean in the Gulf of Alaska.
  • The Copper River salmon fishery is one of the most dangerous fisheries in Alaska.

    The Lingo
  • When a fisherman lays his net out, it is called a “set”. A short set in a slough is called a “flier”.
  • An especially long set in the ocean can be called a “sleeper set”, so noted if the skipper is taking a nap.
  • When a fisherman sets too close in front of another fisherman, the fisherman who was there first is known to be “getting corked.”
  • When a fisherman pulls in zero fish from his set, it is called “a skunk” or a “skunk haul”.
  • When a fisherman has a lot of fish in his net, to the extent that many fish are hanging over the roller, he is known to be “picking grapes”.
  • The process of taking the fish out of the net is called “picking fish”.
  • The process of anchoring the boat is called “throwing the pick”.
  • The state of being anchored up is called being “on the pick”.