Reel girls fish! Photo Credit: Ryan Hagerty/USFWS
Why fish? To spend time and create memories with family and friends. Photo Credit: USFWS
Fishing teaches patience. Photo Credit: USFWS
Soaking in some quiet solitude. Photo Credit: USFWS
A family out fishing at Pendills Creek National Fish Hatchery. Photo Credit: Katie Steiger-Meister/USFWS
Hatcheries With Public Fishing Access
Many National Fish Hatcheries managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service have public fishing access. The list provided can help you get started on a fishing adventure. A fishing license is often needed but in most states can be purchased on line in advance. Don't forget to review your state fishing rules and regulations before heading out because they also apply to federal lands.
Go fishing, Catch the Fun!
(Idaho, Oregon, and Washington) |
Entiat National Fish Hatchery Entiat National Fish Hatchery raises summer Chinook salmon, releasing them into the Entiat River to make their way to the Pacific Ocean. Many are harvested in commercial, sport, and tribal fisheries from the Entiat River to southeast Alaska. Visitors are welcome. In summer, a volunteer might be available for tours and staff can help answer questions. A kids fishing pond is open only during Entiat Outdoor Skills Days, when local students make field trips to the hatchery. |
Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery has raised spring Chinook salmon since 1974, supporting sport, tribal, and commercial fisheries in the Pacific Ocean, Columbia River, and Icicle Creek. Five miles of trails are available for walking, biking, horseback riding, and birdwatching. Tours, a pollinator garden, and picnic tables are available while visiting the hatchery. Winter offers cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. |
Little White Salmon National Fish Hatchery Spring and up-river bright fall Chinook salmon produced at the Little White Salmon National Fish Hatchery contributes significantly to the salmon harvested by sport fishers in the Columbia River, particularly in Drano Lake. Spring Chinook adults typically enter Drano Lake during late March thru May and fall Chinook can be found in Drano Lake as early as August until they make their push upstream to the hatchery in late October. A wheelchair-accessible fishing ramp and platform at Drano Lake provides enhanced fishing opportunities and a boat ramp provides easy access for launching into Drano Lake. An underwater viewing area and wildlife viewing opportunities are also available. Phone: (509) 538-2755. |
Makah National Fish Hatchery Makah National Fish Hatchery raises Chinook, Coho, and steelhead for release into the Tsoo-Yess and Wa’atch rivers. Freshwater sport and tribal fisheries in the Tsoo-Yess River benefit from the fish reared at Makah National Fish Hatchery. The fishery is typically open from the end of August through the end of February. All fishing on the Tsoo-Yess River requires a tribal license. Visit the hatchery to watch the spawning, which occurs from mid-September through the end of December. Please call ahead to confirm the schedule. Phone: (360) 645-2521. |
Spring Creek National Fish Hatchery Tule fall Chinook salmon are native to parts of the Columbia River and have historically provided food for people living along the river. They begin returning in late August about the time the fish ladder opens and spawning happens around mid- to late September. If you’d rather catch fish than watch them, the shore areas provide respectable smallmouth bass habitat. For more information or to schedule a group tour, call (509) 493-1730 or the Columbia Gorge Information and Education Office at (509) 493-2934. Public restrooms are available. |
(Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas) |
Alchesay National Fish Hatchery The Alchesay-Williams Creek National Fish Hatchery Complex is on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation in the White Mountains of east-central Arizona. Fishing access maps are available at trail heads. Trout are the prevalent species, with rainbow, brown and brook trout the most abundant. Reservation permits are required when camping or fishing on Indian lands. For more information call (928) 338-4901/4902. |
Inks Dam National Fish Hatchery Inks Dam National Fish Hatchery serves its immediate community of the Texas Hill Country as a fishing and day-use outdoor recreation site on the Colorado River of central Texas. The hatchery offers several trails for exploration. You can fish anywhere along the river shoreline that runs through the property but all hatchery ponds are closed to fishing. All state fishing regulations apply as well. An unimproved small boat launch for kayaks and canoes is also available. For information on tours or just to learn more, call (512) 793-2474. |
Tishomingo National Fish Hatchery Tishomingo National Fish Hatchery is located on tranquil Pennington Creek which offers a public fishing site on the hatchery land. Fly fishing and spin fishing for smallmouth bass and sunfish is very popular using wading or bank-fishing methods. The hatchery grounds are open for fishing in Pennington Creek and hiking the Nature Trail, 24 hours a day, year round. Please obey the “Area Closed” signs. For questions or to arrange a guided tour, call (580) 384-5463. |
(Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin) |
Pendills Creek National Fish Hatchery Public use opportunities at Pendills Creek/Sullivan Creek National Fish Hatcheries include fishery education, hatchery tours and a Lake Superior public access site. Activities include fishing, ice fishing and swimming. Both Lake Superior and Pendills Creek are open to fishing. Everything from whitefish and menominee, to trout and salmon can be caught. Guided group tours during visitor hours are available by appointment only. (906) 437-5231. |
(Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) |
Chattahoochee Forest National Fish Hatchery Surrounded by the Chattahoochee National Forest, the Chattahoochee Forest National Fish Hatchery occupies a 44.8 acre tract of land straddling Mill Creek and Rock Creek, tributaries of the Toccoa River. Fishing is allowed in Rock Creek, which runs through hatchery grounds. Individuals must bring their own fishing gear and bait, license and trout stamp which can be purchased at local stores. Rock Creek Lake, located two miles north of the hatchery, also provides good fishing opportunities. Special tour groups can be prearranged by calling (706) 838-4723. |
Dale Hollow National Fish Hatchery Dale Hollow National Fish Hatchery has a lot to offer with an aquarium/visitor center, displays and paved walking paths. Nearby Dale Hollow Lake is renowned for its fishing opportunities. In addition to yielding the world record smallmouth bass and being known as a trophy smallmouth lake, the Obey River below Dale Hollow Dam is also known for excellent rainbow and brown trout fishing. Phone: (931) 243 2443. |
Edenton National Fish Hatchery The Edenton National Fish Hatchery features a raised 200-foot-long wheelchair-accessible boardwalk through bottomland hardwood wetland ending at a fishing pier, a classroom that seats 32, and aquariums and exhibits. All facilities are open to the public for self-guided tours. Large groups as well as small are given tours by station personnel, if arrangements are made in advance. Contact the hatchery office at (252) 482-4118 for more details and to learn about exciting volunteer opportunities. |
Orangeburg National Fish Hatchery Orangeburg National Fish Hatchery consists of two units, a main station and a substation. The substation is used for fish production. It includes a 100-acre reservoir for boating and fishing, walking trails that offer great opportunities for birding and outdoor recreation, an aquarium center, and an outdoor education area. Weekend and group tours can be arranged by contacting the hatchery office. Phone: (803) 534-4828. |
Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery There is plenty to do when you visit Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery, including fishing. Nearby Hatchery Creek provides healthy aquatic habitat that attracts trout, including larger, trophy-size fish from the Cumberland River, and there is a wheelchair-accessible fishing ramp. Fishing the stream provides a great opportunity to see an array of native wildlife, and there is nearby camping and lodging. Visitors are welcome to tour the hatchery, call (270) 343-3797. |
(Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhose Island, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia) |
Allegheny National Fish Hatchery Allegheny National Fish Hatchery is located on the Allegheny River. The hatchery provides 3,000 feet of shore angler access to upper reach of the state designated special trout regulation area of the Allegheny River. Fishing downstream from the Kinzua Dam yields some of the largest freshwater fish (trout, walleye, bass, muskie) in North America. The hatchery has two public parking areas (one open 24 hours per day all year, the other from 7 am to 3 pm M-F) for anglers. Adjacent to the hatchery, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers provides an accessible fishing platform with comfort station at the dam, and a boat launch directly cross river from the hatchery. |
Berkshire National Fish Hatchery The Berkshire National Fish Hatchery encourages young anglers to use its derby pond anytime during office hours after obtaining a permit from the hatchery office. The pond is open year round (weather permitting). For questions about fishing and fishing derbies, call (413) 528-9761. |
Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery Enjoy your time and all there is to do at Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery, including boat access and picnic areas on Alamoosook Lake and Craig Pond. Alamoosook Lake (warm-water species such as bass, pickerel and perch) and Craig Pond (cold-water species such as lake trout and landlocked salmon) offer excellent fishing and boating opportunities. Both lakes are popular fishing destinations during open-water and ice-fishing seasons. Be sure to check the state fishing and boating regulations. Hatchery tours are self-guided tours; call 207-902-1557 for larger group tours. |
Dwight D. Eisenhower National Fish Hatchery At Dwight D. Eisenhower National Fish Hatchery wild populations of brook, brown, and rainbow trout dominate the fish community in Furnace Brook. Visitors are welcome. Please call (802) 483-6618 for more information. |
Harrison Lake National Fish Hatchery Harrison Lake National Fish Hatchery offers fishing, boating, hiking, picnicking, and wildlife watching. Harrison Lake is the hatchery's 90-acre water supply reservoir, but also provides anglers with a peaceful setting to try their luck on a variety of fish species: largemouth bass, black crappie, chain pickerel, bluegill, redear sunfish, warmouth, flier and bowfin. There is a gravel boat ramp and a handicapped-accessible pier. For additional information, please call the hatchery at (804) 829-2421. |
Lamar National Fish Hatchery & Northeast Fishery Center Complex The Northeast Fishery Center is on Fishing Creek, with almost the entire Fishing Creek Watershed designated as a High Quality-Cold Water Fishery and 41 miles of Class A streams. Trophy trout sections occur on this stream and many areas are stocked with rainbow, brook and brown trout. Please call to schedule a tour, learn about fishing events and more. (570) 726-4247. |
(Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming) |
Creston National Fish Hatchery When visiting the Creston National Fish Hatchery, try your luck fishing on the Jessup Mill pond, no watercraft of any type is allowed, and Mill Creek below Jessup Mill pond is closed to fishing. You can also take a stroll on streamside nature trails, picnic, and enjoy the pavilion and Nature Explore outdoor classroom area. Please request guided and educational school tours in advance, calling 406-758-6868. |
Hotchkiss National Fish Hatchery Along the banks of the North Fork of the Gunnison River, Hotchkiss National Fish Hatchery has a bounty of nearby recreational opportunities available to visitors: picnicking, wildlife and bird watching, photography and fishing. The most prized catches by anglers are rainbow and brown trout. (970) 872-3170. |
Jackson National Fish Hatchery Jackson National Fish Hatchery provides many exciting visitor opportunities. Sleeping Indian Pond on the hatchery grounds is popular for public fishing enjoyment and offers a wheelchair-accessible observation/fishing deck. The pond is an excellent place for children and first-time anglers, whether it be fly fishing or using worms. Pond hours are 8 am to 4 pm daily. Non-resident children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult with a license. There is a one-fish limit per license. Fishing poles are available for free use with your own bait or lures. Licenses are not available on site. Phone (307) 733-2510 for more information. |
Jones Hole National Fish Hatchery Jones Hole National Fish Hatchery provides many exciting visitor opportunities at the hatchery and surrounding area. Try your luck fishing in Jones Hole Creek, which is clear and cool -- perfect habitat for brown and rainbow trout. All anglers must have a valid Utah fishing license and be familiar with Utah fishing regulations. |
Leadville National Fish Hatchery Leadville National Fish Hatchery provides exciting visitor opportunities. The hatchery grounds are open to the public for hiking and wildlife viewing. Fishing is allowed on Rock Creek, about a one-mile hike from the hatchery compound. The hatchery also participates in local activities, such as the Annual 5th grade Pathways to Fishing Program, and supports local community activities, such as the Fish Hatchery 5K run. Phone: (719) 486-0189. |
Valley City National Fish Hatchery Valley City National Fish Hatchery offers access to the Sheyenne River in multiple spots providing anglers with some good fishing opportunities. The hatchery also has fishing poles available to borrow while visiting the facility. A kids’ fishing pond is stocked in the spring with rainbow trout and periodically throughout the summer with various species, like yellow perch. Visitors can enjoy a nature trail and pollinator garden as well. For group tours, phone (701) 845-3464. |