Good post!!
I buy Ak salmon both fresh and flash frozen. Best, of course, is fresh and early in the runs..Copper River = primo!! The big Kroger chain Fred Meyer always has the best prices and as fresh as anywhere-- in stores anyhow.
In fall, Fred's has sales on the spring/summer run on the frozen sockeye, occasionally. I bought a whole bunch a few months back for $4.77 lb!!! Been meaning to have bud smoke some, in exchange for 1/3 of the fish.
A few years ago, I spotted a small and startup commercial fisherman, Ukrainian, I think, advertising of Facebook. He brought locally caught (local = anywhere in the Salish Sea or the ocean). I paid $8/lb for halibut.... and once got line caught king for $10/lb.. head off, I think. He delivered to my house, even!! Now,he has a store in Bellevue, 20 miles away. I haven't visited, but imagine he's raised his prices a fair bit.
I'm a wildlife/nature photographer and asked if I could go out on a fishing boat. Trade photos for fish, or something like that!! He said yes. Never took him up on it.
Locally caught salmon is very good. Certainly less fat content that Ak fish, especially early runs.
Years ago, I headed to the Duwamish River, which terminates in the south Seattle ship yards. River used to be quite polluted, has been cleaned up as best possible. I recall getting salmon for as low as 2 lb, if not less!! I think it was edible.
Last summer, near Everett and the Snoqualmie River/Puget Sound, I spotted a native selling fish out of a cooler and his pickup truck. I chose a fat king and he said $8/lb. Paid him $40.. got it home and weighed it and it was close to 7 lb!!! Talk about a score. It was mouth watering and totally fresh!! Froze half, and those portions were fabulous when I ate the last one a few months later!!
AI
Market Data 
Markets 
