Seasons & episodes

S0 · E77Life on the Rail Air date unannounced · 44 min＋

Captain Bill Wichrowski prepares for a brutal winter season, made only worse by the recent loss of Nick McGlashan. Can the new Deck Boss fill Nick’s shoes?

S0 · E78Curse of St. Paul Island Air date unannounced · 44 min＋

With hazardous winter weather, the deadliest harbour in the Bering Sea becomes the only port open for delivery. The crab fleet must make high risk entries.

One of the deadliest jobs in the world is that of the Alaskan crab fisherman. They brave the treacherous waves of the Bering Sea in search of valuable king crabs.

New blood joins familiar faces in pursuit of a lucrative new crab fishery. As the Coast Guard encounters a surge of illegal foreign vessels at sea, perils mount for the new generation and legendary captains share the secrets they’ll need to stay alive.

Forged by the ferocious seas of the North Atlantic, legendary east coast captain Linda Greenlaw attempts to break into the highly competitive and highly dangerous Alaskan crab fishery for the first time in her storied career.

S0 · E82Maiden Voyage 2023-07-04 · 41 min＋

Captain Bob overcomes tragedy to launch her late parents' crab boat.

S0 · E83The Twenty-Season Toll 2024-06-04 · 42 min＋

King Crab is back; two decades since Sig Hansen first allowed a camera on board, a new generation lays claim to an industry he helped pioneer; now, each captain must contend with the toll of leading sailors into the Deadliest Catch.

S0 · E84Super El Niño 2024-08-27＋

No episode summary available yet.

Captain Sig faces the choice of a lifetime -- hunt king crab on traditional grounds, or risk it all by chasing whispers of monster king crab in the west. The rumored billion-dollar bounty lures captains and crews to venture beyond the bounds of rescue.

S1 · E1Greenhorns 2005-04-12＋

It's the first day of work at the world's deadliest job. Approximately 1,500 fishermen and 250 boats have converged on Dutch Harbor, Alaska, for the 2005 Alaskan king crab season. Each individual old salts and greenhorns alike ” is here to stake his claim on the 14 million pounds of crab that the season is expected to yield, and the chance to earn a year's wages in just one week. To that end, each boat's captain has his own strategy for success.With a radio countdown, the season begins and the first pots are dumped into the sea. It will be many hours before all the pots are set and even longer before anyone rests. But soon after the start, the stabilizer breaks on one of the boats, forcing its crew to fish with a potentially deadly problem. For others, it's fish guts and crab pots as they desperately grasp for their piece of the $80 million king crab pie.

S1 · E2Long Sleepless Nights 2005-04-19＋

After a long, sleepless night of baiting and setting crab pots, the fishermen anxiously await the captain's call to begin hauling them in. What's in the first pot of the season as it's pulled onto the deck sets the mood for the crew, and the questions on everyone's mind are who's got crab and where are they fishing?Some boats are ""on the crab,"" while others are ""pulling blanks."" The early losers agonize over strategy, hoping to make up for lost catch, while the winners try to figure out how to keep the crab coming. Others just want to start fishing ... One boat has broken the bin boards in its storage tank, which must be fixed before they can pull in their first pot. Every minute spent repairing broken equipment costs the crew serious money, and the greenhorns learn quickly that there's no sympathy for fatigue.

S1 · E3Lady Luck 2005-04-26 · 65 min＋

It's hour 42 of the Alaskan king crab season and every captain feels the pressure, especially since the Alaska Department of Fish and Game just announced an early closure to the season. Each boat has 24 hours to pull out the pots they have in the water — and every one of the final pots count. The fishermen either find crab today, or give up their chance at a profitable season; the results can affect these men and their families for the entire year.All of the boats in the fleet face challenges: One captain, nervous about the spot he's chosen to fish, decides to take a gamble on a new location, while another grapples with an injured crew member. And worst of all, some boats still have no crab to show despite the continuous efforts made by their captains and crew.

S1 · E4Beat the Clock 2005-05-03＋

With less than half a day left in the Alaskan king crab season, the crews race the clock to get as much crab into the holding tanks as they can. Bad luck and mechanical malfunctions still plague some captains, who need to land a certain number of crabs just to cover their operating expenses, much less to turn a profit for the crew.As the midnight deadline marking the end of season closes in, the battle to unload begins. Boats are unloaded at the processing plants on a first-come, first-serve basis, and a couple of minutes can mean the difference between unloading immediately, or waiting in the harbor for days.

S1 · E5Dead of Winter 2005-05-10＋

Opilio crab season is about to begin, and the forecast is glacial and dangerous. On a cold, rainy January day — when sunlight lasts just six hours — 171 boats begin the journey out of Dutch Harbor, Alaska, sailing up to 450 miles northwest of the small town in search of crab. But shortly after he leaves port, smoke and heat force one captain to surrender valuable time to turn around for repairs, only to discover that an EIRB, or emergency signal, has rung out from a sister boat. Meanwhile, gale warnings buzz over the radio, alerting captains of treacherous ice conditions — ice that, if allowed to build up on the crab pots, could capsize a boat.Finally, at noon, the Opilio crab season begins, and the fleet is forced to put their emotions aside and begin fishing.

S1 · E6Man Overboard 2005-05-17＋

With one boat sunk and its crew missing, several Good Samaritan boats postpone their season to comb the frigid waters of the Bering Sea for survivors. The tragic news travels fast, but captains too far away to help with the search and rescue decide to concentrate on the baiting and setting of pots. As the remaining 170 boats in the fleet turn their attention to fishing, though, tragedy strikes again. A frantic call comes in over the radio from a boat whose deckhand has fallen overboard. The reality of another death strikes a nervous chord throughout the fleet and keeps everyone on edge as they continue to chase America's deadliest catch.

S1 · E7High Hopes 2005-05-24 · 60 min＋

Less than a day into the Opilio crab season, the Bering Sea has already claimed six lives. Despite these losses, the rest of the fleet begins to pull the pots they set 12 hours before, their hopes high. As the weather turns for the better, fishing is made easier, and for the first time this season, there is a moment of calm on the Bering Sea.

S1 · E8Good Fishing 2005-05-31 · 60 min＋

Unseasonably warm weather and calm seas have contributed to three days of record catches for the fleet. It's not all smooth sailing for one boat, however, when an electrical fire breaks out in the engine room and its crew must scramble to fix the problem before safely returning to fishing. But as the fourth day of the season gets under way, the continued high number of crabs spurs rumors of an early closure, with every captain speculating on when the quota will be met.

S1 · E9The Clock is Ticking 2005-06-07＋

Eighty-four hours into the Opilio season, the hunt for crab intensifies as rumors of a possible closure prompt the men to push even harder. Some boats are so successful their captains begin wondering where to put excess crab, while others, finally hitting the "honey hole", try to make up for their slow start. But throughout the fleet crews begin to fatigue as the pending season closure drives them forward. This is the last time they will fish in a derby-style competition, and everyone wants to make their final run a memorable one.

S1 · E10The Final Run 2005-06-14 · 60 min＋

With the deaths of the Big Valley crew, this Opilio crab season has been a rough one. On every boat, crew members are reaching their limit, but are spurred on by the pressure to catch a year's wages in the next 24 hours. As the last hours of the season tick down, a new race begins: the race back to port. Since off-loading is done on a first-come-first-serve basis, captains must decide when and where to unload their catch, competing for the best spot in line at the processor. Crab can't last forever in a boat, so a few days waiting could mean tens of thousands of dollars.

S2 · E1Heading Out to Sea 2006-03-28＋

Back out on the Bering Sea, the crews set sail for this round of crab fishing. With new rules and more time to fish, the stakes are still high.

S2 · E2Batten Down the Hatches 2006-04-04 · 60 min＋

With the weather calm on the Bering Sea the fleet takes full advantage. With a storm brewing out at sea, the decision to stay or run needs to be made.

S2 · E3On the Crab 2006-04-11 · 60 min＋

With Mother Nature in full force, crews decide to stick it out in search of Alaskan Gold.

S2 · E4The Finish Line 2006-04-18＋

The crew of the Northwestern makes a profit at Akutan Island. They make the decision to head back out to sea in search of more King Crab.

S2 · E5Friends and Rivals 2006-04-25＋

The faith of the Aleutian Ballad is relived after being slammed by that 65 foot rouge wave. Meanwhile the crews of the other boats must endure the terrible weather conditions.