Freddy Dodge wiki/bio, age, height, net worth, wife, kids.

Freddy Dodge is an American gold miner, mechanical expert, and Discovery Channel personality known for his hands-on approach to gold recovery and wash plant design. Originally from Colorado, Dodge became a trusted name in the mining world thanks to his role in helping struggling mining crews optimize equipment, troubleshoot recovery issues, and increase gold yield.

His most well-known television roles include supporting Todd Hoffman on Gold Rush, contributing technical expertise across multiple mining sites, and co-starring in Gold Rush: Mine Rescue with Freddy & Juan, where he helps revive underperforming gold operations alongside Juan Ibarra.

Dodge’s reputation is built on real-world experience, decades in the mining industry, and a commitment to solving problems in the field with practical, results-driven methods.

From Finding Quartz to Mining Gold: Freddy Dodge’s Journey

Freddy Dodge was born on December 30, 1966, in Colorado and raised on his grandparents’ cattle ranch near Walden, alongside his three brothers. His interest in rocks and minerals began at an early age. At around eight years old, he discovered a piece of quartz with visible gold, sparking his lifelong passion for prospecting. Encouraged by his mentor Walt—a grandfather-like figure who gave him his first metal detector—Freddy spent his youth exploring local creeks and reading mining books and magazines to deepen his knowledge.

Though little is publicly known about his formal education, Freddy started professional gold mining at the age of 21. Over the years, he expanded his mining work across various countries, including Alaska, Canada, Mexico, Guyana, and parts of Africa. His older brother Derek Dodge is also a seasoned gold miner, making the profession a shared pursuit within the family.

Freddy’s deep hands-on experience in exploration, gold recovery, and equipment troubleshooting laid the foundation for his trusted reputation in the field. This credibility eventually led to his regular appearances on Discovery Channel’s mining series, where he continues to share his practical expertise with a global audience.

Freddy Dodge’s Family Life: Meet His Wife Lisa and Daughters Nikki and Sammi

Freddy Dodge has been married to his longtime partner, Lisa Irene Dodge, since April 1997. Together, they’ve built a life centered around family, resilience, and shared values. The couple has two daughters, Nikki and Sammi Dodge, and while they often keep their personal lives private, glimpses shared by Freddy reflect a close-knit and supportive household.

Nikki Dodge, their younger daughter, has embraced many of the same interests as her father. In November 2015, at just 15 years old, she successfully hunted a large buck—a moment proudly shared by Freddy. Known affectionately by nicknames like “Deadeye” and “Deadeye Macfly,” Nikki has practiced target shooting in the snow and shown a natural aptitude for outdoor skills. She’s also developed talents in welding, earning a “Best Weld in Class” award during her school years. Nikki has traveled to places like Canada and Alaska and appears occasionally in Freddy’s social media updates. While she shares her father’s passion for hunting, Freddy’s own achievements are notable—he holds the top three records for the largest Canadian moose ever harvested with a muzzle-loaded rifle. Nikki has also participated in similar competitions, carving out her own path in the field.

Sammi Dodge, the elder daughter, values her privacy and chooses to stay out of the public eye. She hasn’t been featured in television appearances or mining-related content, and Freddy respects her decision to lead a quieter life.

Lisa Dodge has been a steady presence throughout Freddy’s journey in mining and television. A dedicated homemaker, she has supported the family behind the scenes and appeared briefly in Gold Rush: The Dirt alongside Nikki. In a 2016 Mother’s Day tribute on social media, Freddy expressed his appreciation, writing, “Thanks to all the wonderful hard working Mothers out there. And to my wife Lisa Thank you, your a Great wife and Mother!” As of 2025, Freddy and Lisa remain together, and their enduring partnership continues to be a foundation in both his personal and professional life.

Gold Rush TV Show & Major Moments

Freddy Dodge is best known for his expertise in gold recovery and wash plant troubleshooting. He first appeared on Gold Rush in Season 2 (2011), working alongside Todd Hoffman’s crew as a technical advisor. By Season 3, he was a recurring presence, co-designing the iconic “Big Red” wash plant—one of the show’s most efficient recovery systems.

When the Hoffman crew ventured to Guyana in Season 4, Freddy chose to stay in the Yukon, teaming up with his brother Derek Dodge to mine at the Carmacks claim. Their success in the Klondike caught viewers’ attention, showcasing Freddy’s transition from equipment consultant to active miner.

He returned to the Hoffman crew in Season 5 and played a key role over the next two seasons, helping them recover over 4,000 ounces of gold in the Klondike. In Season 7, when the Hoffmans faced setbacks in Oregon, Freddy helped secure new ground in his home state of Colorado. He continued mining there in Season 8.

In Season 9, Freddy Dodge made a high-profile return to the show in the episode titled “The Return of Freddy Dodge,” where he helped Rick Ness identify a major flaw in his wash plant. Freddy’s technical expertise proved instrumental in keeping Rick’s struggling crew afloat. He continued appearing across multiple episodes in Season 9, offering mentorship and gold recovery support.

Between 2011 and 2021, Freddy Dodge appeared in more than 100 episodes, solidifying his reputation as one of Gold Rush’s most reliable and technically skilled cast members.

Gold Rush: Mine Rescue with Freddy & Juan

In 2021, Discovery launched Gold Rush: Mine Rescue with Freddy & Juan, a spin-off series focusing on gold recovery expert Freddy Dodge and master mechanic Juan Ibarra. The series highlights their mission to help struggling mine owners across North America turn their failing operations into profitable enterprises through expert engineering, hands-on upgrades, and mentorship.

Each episode documents their work diagnosing problems with wash plants, sluice boxes, water systems, and recovery methods—while also capturing the emotional journeys of miners on the brink of collapse. With five seasons as of 2025, the series has solidified Freddy and Juan’s roles as respected gold mining troubleshooters in the Gold Rush franchise.

Season 1, Episode 1: Arizona Emergency Wash Plant Upgrade

In the Gold Rush: Freddy Dodge’s Mine Rescue series premiere, Freddy Dodge and Juan Ibarra travel to Arizona to assist Fred and Malynda, a couple struggling to turn their small-scale hobby mining claim—Make Car Mine—into a sustainable gold mining operation following pandemic-related job losses. Located on a quarter-square-mile site, their setup includes a basic, 10-year-old wash plant with no moving parts, leading to massive gold loss.

Freddy performs a tailings pan test and discovers nearly 100 visible gold colors in a single pan—indicating roughly 50% of their gold is being lost due to inefficient recovery. He recommends overhauling their sluice box system to improve gold capture.

Beyond technical fixes, the episode highlights the emotional and financial pressure faced by Fred and Malynda. Paul, formerly in trucking and construction, faces burnout, while his wife Susan—despite preferring farm life—assists by manually clearing rocks from the hopper. The couple describes this season as their “last shot” before quitting gold mining entirely.

By diagnosing bottlenecks, proposing wash plant upgrades, and improving throughput and recovery efficiency, Freddy and Juan bring engineering know-how and emotional support to a mine on the brink—delivering both gold-saving solutions and renewed hope.

Season 1, Episode 2: Desert Efficiency Rescue

Freddy and Juan travel to a remote mine in northwest Colorado to help Maya Count revive his failing desert claim, known as Gold Devil. Situated in one of the driest areas they’ve worked in, the site presents extreme heat, logistical obstacles, and a highly inefficient wash plant that dumps over 100 gallons of water in under three minutes.

The plant’s short, wide sluice setup combined with poor water retention causes superfine gold to wash away. Freddy and Juan redesign the sluice boxes to be longer and narrower, seal leaking joints with steel sheet fixes, and dig a runoff trench to recycle used water back to the pond. These changes help extend the plant’s runtime from 2 minutes and 49 seconds to over an hour.

Freddy also breaks a massive boulder that was blocking access to new Pay Dirt. When this untouched dirt is finally processed, the improved setup runs efficiently and yields visible fine gold in the sluice carpet. The biggest breakthrough comes when Maya uncovers a pecan-sized gold nugget valued at over $3,000. The successful recovery not only boosts morale but revives Maya’s hopes of earning over $150,000 annually through gold mining.

Season 1, Episode 3: Flocculant Fix and Heat Battle

Freddy and Juan continue their mission in the Sonoran Desert, where they aid the Dickinson family struggling to mine beneath the legendary Rich Hill—a region with over $94 million in historical gold production. With temperatures soaring to 120°F, the crew battles extreme heat while diagnosing problems with the mine’s wash plant and water system.

Freddy introduces a low-cost solution to clean recirculated water using flocculants—substances that bind fine silt and let it settle. He rigs a bulk canister system for slow, steady flocculant injection, dramatically improving water clarity and enabling longer run times without shutdowns.

The miners also face physical challenges: Freddy suffers burns while welding on superheated steel, and the crew risks heat stroke while working around metal equipment. Nonetheless, they persevere to install improved sluice boxes and water systems.

Results exceed expectations. The Dickinsons increase their gold recovery more than sevenfold—from just 0.16 ounces to 1.13 ounces per day—worth over $2,000. The improvements not only make their operation viable but promise future returns up to half a million dollars annually.

Season 1, Episode 4: Screen Upgrade and Recovery Overhaul

Freddy and Juan assist Peter and Lance, who are struggling to process super-fine gold using outdated and inefficient methods. Lance spends 20 hours painstakingly hand-panning a small amount of material—a process that wastes time and risks gold loss. Freddy recommends using a finishing table to speed up recovery and offers a used unit at a discounted price.

The duo finds three core issues in Peter’s setup: the sluice angle is too steep, the sluice box is unlevel, and the gold is so fine it floats on the water surface, ending up in the tailings. After modifying the sluices with better matting, riffles, and pitch adjustments, only 0.27 ounces of gold worth $500 is recovered—well below the $1,000 break-even point.

Digging deeper, they discover the shaker deck is fitted with 30-mesh screens that block gold-laden dirt from entering the sluices. Freddy confirms this with a pan test that reveals dozens of gold colors in the discarded dirt. New 12-mesh screens are urgently sourced and installed.

With the changes in place, the plant yields 0.44 ounces from the gold bowl and 0.84 ounces from the sluices—exceeding $3,000 in total value and tripling previous returns.

Season 1, Episode 5: Overburden Troubles and Nugget Discovery

Freddy and Juan travel to Oregon to help the Follett family—three brothers and their father—turn their underperforming claim into a viable full-time operation. In their initial test run, the team recovers just a fraction of an ounce, putting their entire investment at risk.

Freddy begins by assessing the wash plant setup and discovering a major flaw: the brothers have been running layers of worthless overburden along with Pay Dirt, diluting recovery. Using his geological experience, Freddy identifies that the gold-bearing layer is located about two feet beneath an eight-foot layer of non-productive dirt.

To determine if the deposit contains large nuggets, Freddy brings in metal-detecting expert Gypsy Jewels. She successfully uncovers a visible nugget, boosting the crew’s confidence. Encouraged by this sign, the team implements sluice box and process flow improvements.

The final cleanup delivers a breakthrough: the team recovers over an ounce of gold—including several nuggets—worth more than $2,000. This result represents a more than 35-fold improvement over their initial yield.

Season 1, Episode 6: Sluice Upgrade and Fine Gold Boost in Nome

Freddy and Juan travel to Nome, Alaska, to help Doug and his family fix their dredge and boost fine gold recovery. Their main task is to install Freddy’s Goldilocks riffles into the top sluice box, which are designed to accelerate cleanup and catch more superfine gold.

After modifying the sluice with a new v-shoot and Freddy’s tested riffle design, the dredge is relaunched for a 20-hour test run. The new system works flawlessly: water flows evenly, and gold recovery improves. A cleanup pan taken from the lower sluice carpet shows zero gold—indicating all the gold is being caught in the upper parts.

Cleanup time is cut by over an hour, and the gold recovered increases from 5.46 ounces to 5.87 ounces—an improvement worth over $1,100. With reduced cleanup time and higher yield, the upgraded dredge could increase seasonal revenue by hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The episode ends with heartfelt gratitude from Doug’s family and a traditional Alaska Native gift, symbolizing deep appreciation for Freddy and Juan’s help in transforming their operation.

Seasons 2 to 5

Following its strong debut, Gold Rush: Mine Rescue expanded its reach in Seasons 2 through 5. Freddy and Juan tackled increasingly complex rescues, ranging from outdated machinery and gold recovery losses to extreme weather conditions and financial stress.

They introduced modern solutions such as high-efficiency sluices, customized trommels, and energy-efficient pumps. The duo also helped miners diversify their income streams, adapt to changing gold prices, and navigate the emotional toll of operating small family-run mines. Their expertise consistently turned high-risk operations into sustainable ventures, and Freddy Dodge remained a constant presence, appearing in every episode of the 50-episode series from 2021 to 2025, reinforcing his reputation as one of the most skilled and compassionate figures in the world of gold mining television.

Freddy Dodge Net Worth and Business Ventures (2025)

Freddy Dodge is not only a prospector and gold miner but also a successful businessman and reality television figure. As of 2025, his net worth is estimated between $2 million and $3 million.

Income Sources:

Merchandising and Brand Deals: Freddy’s popularity has also led to selective brand collaborations, equipment endorsements, and public appearances at mining expos and industry conventions.

MSI Mining Equipment Collaboration: Freddy works closely with MSI Mining Equipment, contributing his knowledge to the development of advanced gold recovery systems. This includes consulting, promotional appearances, and technical feedback for their line of wash plants and sluices.

Television Earnings: Freddy has been a consistent presence on Gold Rush since Season 2 (2011), appearing through 2021, and currently leads Gold Rush: Mine Rescue with Freddy & Juan. His role as a lead expert in the spin-off series provides him with per-episode compensation and franchise visibility.

Gold Mining Operations: Over the decades, Freddy has run several small to medium-scale mining projects in the Yukon, Colorado, and other parts of North America. His seasonal income varies based on gold yields and market prices but remains a stable component of his financial portfolio.

Other TV Appearances and Equipment Work

Freddy Dodge’s television career spans far beyond a single series. He has made over 100 appearances on Gold Rush (2011–2021), contributing as a mining consultant, equipment expert, and gold recovery specialist. He played a pivotal role in helping both the Hoffman crew and Parker Schnabel solve major mining challenges in the Klondike and beyond.

From 2013 to 2021, Freddy also featured in Gold Rush: The Dirt, the franchise’s behind-the-scenes companion show, where he provided technical insight and personal commentary on the events and outcomes of the main series.

Between 2019 and 2022, Freddy appeared in five episodes of Gold Rush: Dave Turin’s Lost Mine, once again serving as a gold recovery expert. He also made a single-episode appearance in Gold Rush: Winter’s Fortune (2021), a short-run pre-season spin-off documenting mine preparation in remote Alaskan regions.

Outside of Discovery’s core mining universe, Freddy was a guest on Josh Gates Tonight (2020), where he discussed the engineering challenges featured in Mine Rescue. In 2015, he appeared in the VR mini-series Gold Rush: Follow the Gold, offering an immersive look at mining operations.

Earlier in his career, he participated in Gold Rush: South America (2013), a four-episode expedition showcasing mining efforts across the continent.

Freddy even stepped outside the mining genre for a cameo on The Lifted Life, a vehicle customization show, where his truck received a personalized upgrade to match the rugged terrain of his work sites.

Through it all, Freddy Dodge remains closely tied to MSI Mining Equipment, the Colorado-based manufacturer of cutting-edge mining gear. His consulting and collaboration efforts help improve equipment performance for miners worldwide—making him not only a TV personality but also a driving force in the gold mining equipment industry.

Physical Traits:

Freddy Dodge is a 56-year-old American who has a height of about 5 feet 8 inches (172 cm). Freddy likes to sport a cap to cover his short hair and when not wearing a cap he is using his work helmet. Freddy has brown hair and blue eyes.

Freddy Dodge Wiki/Bio facts

Name	Freddy Eugene Dodge
Other Name	Fred Dodge
Nickname	Gold Guru
Date of Birth	December 30, 1966
Age	58 years old
Place of Birth	Colorado, United States
Nationality	American
Ethnicity	Caucasian
Zodiac	Capricorn
Religion	Christian
Gender	Male
Sexuality	Straight
Relationship Status	Committed
Marital Status	Married
Occupation	Reality Television Personality, Businessman, Prospector, Gold Miner
Net worth	$2 million and $3 million
Spouse/Partner	Lisa Irene Dodge
Children	Nikki Dodge, Sammi Dodge
Social Media	Facebook, Twitter