Willard National Fish Hatchery

Welcome to the Willard National Fish Hatchery

Welcome

Willard National Fish Hatchery
5501B Cook-Underwood Road
Cook, WA 98605
509-538-2305
Hatchery Manager - Steve Wingert

Willard National Fish Hatchery is among a network of hatcheries in the Columbia Basin that were constructed to ensure the continued survival of salmon and steelhead runs. This hatchery was opened in 1953 to compensate for the loss of upstream habitat due to hydroelectric projects.

The hatchery spawns and returns many more young salmon than would occur through natural spawning alone. Nearly one million salmon are returned to the Columbia River system yearly.

Learn More About Us...

	Visiting the Hatchery The Willard hatchery is located five miles north of Highway 14 up the west end of the Cook-Underwood Road on the Little White Salmon River. Visitors are welcome from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm daily.

	Columbia River Gorge National Fish Hatchery Complex To capture efficiencies and achieve aquatic conservation four hatcheries were reorganized during the past year into a multi-hatchery complex.The Columbia River Gorge National Fish Hatchery Complex includes the Carson, Little White Salmon, Spring Creek and Willard National Fish Hatcheries. The new organization accomplishes the production of over 20 million spring Chinook, fall Chinook and Coho salmon through the sharing of staff and resources to meet the Service's Fisheries mitigation, restoration and tribal trust responsibilities.

	Fish Returns For the most current fish return information visit the Fish Passage Center website.

	Fishing Platforms Tribal fishermen have the right to fish in their usual and accustomed places as provided by the Treaty of 1855. Drano Lake is one of those areas. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has a tribal trust responsibility at Little White Salmon NFH and this Drano Lake platform fishery is an appropriate use of Service-owned land. The consistently strong returns of Chinook salmon to the hatchery provide plenty of harvestable fish for all users in this shared fishery.