Iliamna Fish Company salmon are caught during the yearly spawning "run" that takes place in Bristol Bay, Alaska during the months of June and July. The heaviest part of the season is the last week of June and the first week of July. During this two week period, an eye-popping, nearly unbelievable wall of fish push into the bay, coursing toward natal streams and lakes for one purpose: reproduction.

Because we catch our fish with set nets (see below for a description of set-netting), we have several advantages over other kinds of salmon fishermen. Set net boats must be small, with a shallow draft, because we are constantly navigating in shallow water. All of our skiffs are approximately 4 feet deep and 20 feet long.

As our fish are taken out of the water, they are bled by hand and immediately submerged in a 33 degree Fahrenheit slush-ice bath. In our small boats, we travel quickly, bringing our fish to a refrigerated processing area within 6 hours of harvest, far more quickly than industry standard kill-to-freezer time. Because we catch our fish in small amounts, our fish are never buried beneath tons of other fish, waiting to be delivered.

Once our fish arrive at a refrigerated processing area, they are rinsed, slaughtered, and inspected. The salmon are graded and immediately blast frozen, ice-glazed, and packaged in 25-kilogram boxes. Using small, digital temperature gauges, we are able to log the temperature of the fish from the moment it leaves the water until the time it arrives at your door.

Our fresh fish are treated identically to our fresh-frozen fish, except after slaughter, the fish are surrounded with ice and packaged for fresh shipment. Normally, we are able to deliver fresh fish to your door within 24 hours of harvest.