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Lahontan National Fish HatcheryBackgroundThe Lahontan National Fish Hatchery (NFH) was authorized as part of the Washoe Project in 1956 to re-establish the fisheries in Pyramid Lake,![]() The hatchery's Lahontan cutthroat troutIn the past century, several distinct lake populations of Lahontan cutthroat trout (LCT) have either gone extinct or have been extirpated from their native range. One of these was the strain that originally inhabited Pyramid Lake, Nevada . This strain, which was known for its large size, was gone from the lake by 1939. In the 1970's, LCT were discovered in a small stream on Pilot Peak in Utah, outside of their native range. It is not known who transferred these fish to the stream or when. Genetic comparisons have since revealed the Pilot Peak strain of LCT from Utah are descendants of the original population of LCT in the Truckee Basin, and thus are descendants of the original Pyramid Lake strain. Over a ten year period of research and experimentation, the Lahontan National Fish Hatchery developed a captive broodstock of LCT from wild fish collected on Pilot Peak . Throughout this process genetic diversity was carefully preserved and continues to be tracked during annual spawning activities. The resulting Pilot Peak strain, which grows 0.6 inches per month at the hatchery, is now in full production at the hatchery. This strain of LCT is central to the Lahontan National Fish Hatchery Complex recovery and recreational angling programs. How fish are spawned at the Lahontan National Fish HatcheryClick here to download a powerpoint slide show describing the hatchery's LCT spawning process. You can download a powerpoint viewer here. Hatchery outreach eventsCheck out a few of our outreach activities. Visit the hatcheryThe hatchery is open to visitation every day of the year between 8 AM and 3 PM. We are located at 710 Highway 395 in Gardnerville , Nevada . We ask those wanting full tours to schedule a couple of weeks in advance. To schedule a tour, please call (775) 265-2425. |