Another summer mining season attracts a new player who vows to go head-to-head with Shawn Pomrenke while Kris Kelly introduces his upgraded dredge and heads to an untouched mining spot. Meanwhile, Emily is confident that she can make a profit now that she finally has a reliable crew.
Emily scrambles for control of her dredge as it loses power and drifts toward a jetty while Kris Kelly unearths a rare find when he mines in the spot originally located by Shawn.
Shawn searches for new ground after novice miners raid his lucky spot and the Kelly family's poor work ethic may put an end to their lucky streak. Meanwhile, Ken Kerr hires his partner's brother to prospect gold-rich areas for his excavator to dredge.
Kris worries that greedy claim jumpers will prevent his family from getting rich while Shawn uses his barge's imposing size to deter the hordes of smaller dredges from closing in on his spot. Back in Nome, Emily decides on a dangerous but lucrative strategy to put more gold in the box.
A large storm bears down on the Bluff but Shawn continues to mine causing his dredge to take a lashing from the violent waves. Back in Nome, Ken Kerr panics when the generator dies and his barge's 25-ton spuds are still embedded on the sea floor.
Emily inadvertently risks the life of a diver when she tests her faulty equipment and Shawn locates the spot where three gold-rich pay streaks merge. Meanwhile, Ken Kerr is plagued by problems on his mega-dredge that are causing gold to be dumped back into the ocean.
Shawn works overtime to cover for his exhausted crew. Kris is blindsided by the loss of his lead diver. Emily jumps in to prevent a fuel spill. Ken and George collaborate to find Myrtle a motherlode.
Winter winds force the captains to reevaluate risk and reward. Shawn's mega-barge extraction takes a turn for the worse. Ken pushes the Myrtle to the limit on a 5-day run. Emily sends her divers deeper. Kris invents a new form of prospecting.
In a race against winter, Shawn extends his sluice to get more gold. Ken pushes the Myrtle 24 hours a day. Emily tangles with the tide. Kris battles a bed of quartz and George enjoys a season-ending dive with his son.
Desperate to be Nome's gold king, Shawn risks the Christine Rose in dangerous waters. Ken struggles to free the Myrtle from the harbor. Emily fights a fouled airline and Kris attempts one more dive at the Bluff.