Leavenworth, Entiat, and Winthrop National Fish Hatcheries are open year round to the public. Come explore our hatcheries, talk with our friendly staff, observe hatchery operations, and learn about our salmon and the environment they live in. There is something for all ages to discover! Click here to view the calendar of events and what programs we have to offer.

Leavenworth NFH offers a Visitor Center with exhibits on salmon, a self-guided Hatchery Tour, and the Icicle Creek Nature Trail. Winthrop and Entiat NFHs also provide visitors with a walking tour and beautiful outdoor trout ponds. All three hatcheries have picnic areas and great wildlife viewing opportunities

For more information about hatchery activities, or to schedule a group tour, please call 509-548-6662 or email us.

Spring

Spring is an exciting time at our hatcheries. In April, we release millions of juvenile salmon and steelhead into the Icicle, Entiat, and Methow Rivers. These 18 month old fish, called smolt, migrate hundreds of miles downstream to the Pacific Ocean where they will grow to adulthood, then return to their birthplace at our hatcheries 1-3 years later. Check our special events calendar for exact dates of fish release. You can also view our younger fish, called fry, which were spawned the previous summer. Spring is an important time in the life cycle of our spring Chinook salmon as they begin their migration home from the Pacific Ocean to spawn.

Summer

Our salmon and steelhead face many challenges throughout their life, such as predators, fishermen, dams, and poor habitat. Though not all of the salmon released from our hatcheries will return to spawn, those that do are a sight to behold. Adult salmon begin returning to our hatcheries in mid-May and remain here until late-August when they spawn and die. Adult salmon can be viewed at all three hatcheries during the summer months. The public is also invited to watch our spawning operations in August. Younger salmon, called fingerlings, can also be viewed. May is the time when thousands of fingerling salmon are marked by fin-clipping and by inserting coded wire tags. Visitors are welcome to watch the tagging inside our mobile tagging trailer. Email us for exact dates of tagging at our three hatcheries. Summer is the time that fisherman try their luck at catching Chinook salmon in Icicle Creek near the Leavenworth hatchery. Click here for more information. Join us in celebrating National Fishing Week in June for our Kids Fishing Days at all three hatcheries. Don't miss these fun family times!

Fall

Fall is the time to watch our newly spawned eggs grow. Visitors are invited to observe the salmon eggs as they develop from eggs, to eyed eggs, to sac fry and then to fry. Please also join us in September for our Wenatchee River Salmon Festival, our premier educational event.

Winter

Winter challenges keep us busy at the hatcheries. Our fry continue to grow in our indoor and outdoor raceways. Snowplowing and ice removal keep our work crews hopping. The beautiful 10K Icicle River cross-country ski trail is popular to many winter enthusiasts. Winter wildlife snowshoe tours are held on weekends in January and February. Wildlife is still abundant in winter and can be enjoyed from the ski or snowshoe trails. A trail pass is required, so check with the Leavenworth Winter Sports Club for more information about the Icicle River Trail.