Nome, Alaska. The summer season kicks off as captains race to reclaim the gold the melting ice forced them to leave behind. One miner returns with a dastardly plan, while a rocky father and son relationship turns explosive.

As a storm closes in on Nome, tensions rise in the fleet. While the dredgers battle rough seas to get the gold, the Pomrenkes disagree about Steve's dream to go mining inland.

The summer mining season heats up and everyone is feeling the pressure to get gold. A near-fatal mishap and personnel problems plague the fleet, proving once again that the Bering Sea doesn't give up her gold easily.

The summer season is well underway, but pressure to get gold is turning the miners against each other. For the Pomrenkes, Steve's inland mining plan may lead to breaking up the family business.

Brad Kelly's baby is born, though complications may claim the mother's life. Shawn scrambles when a hydraulic leak dumps oil in Nome harbor. Emily's greenhorn gets a chance to redeem himself. Zeke hires a secret weapon in hopes of hitting the motherlode.

Rough conditions on the Bering Sea are taking their toll on men and machines. A breakdown strands the Au Grabber at sea, while one of Emily's divers realizes he's too broke to continue dredging.

Bonds are tested and broken as two family teams split up. On the Eroica, Emily struggles to discipline her divers and it backfires on her. But disaster turns into opportunity as Kris buys a piece of a dredge.

The gloves are coming off as the fleet fights for their season goals. Captain Vernon Adkison and Captain Emily Riedel look for last-minute new hires to get them the gold as the summer starts to come to an end..

Four crews rush to clean out the gold-rich Tomcod claim and an all-out gold war ensues. Meanwhile, Captain Emily Riedel and her new diver face a battle all their own.

The season freezes to a halt as the dredges rush out for their final push for gold. One family reunites as another family falls apart and revenge, like the beginning of winter, is served cold.