Garrison Dam
Riverdale, ND 58565-7714
Plan Your Visit
Garrison Dam National Fish Hatchery offers a diverse fish propagation program with species spanning spring, fall, and winter spawners. The hatchery is open year-round for self-guided tours daily from 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM.
A visitor center featuring five 400-gallon aquariums is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM, with guided tours typically provided at 1:00 PM. Visitors can enjoy over three miles of graveled trails, including the Wetlands Trail Loop and the River Loop, which provide opportunities for wildlife observation, birding, and winter activities like cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
Tours can be scheduled in advance by calling the office or emailing request. We give tours to groups nearly year-round and have worked with everyone from preschool classes to retirement homes. Typically tour groups are led into several of our buildings that are closed to the public. Sometimes kids get a chance to touch a fish or other critters that call the hatchery home. Groups typically visit our aquarium before or after their hatchery tour. The tours are about an hour long and the admission is free. Self guided tours are always available during open hours.
The Garrison Dam National Fish Hatchery is located in mid-central North Dakota, an hour's drive north of Bismarck on Highway 83, then west on Highway 200.
Activities
Featured Species
Get Involved
In addition to agency partnerships, the Garrison Dam National Fish Hatchery receives tremendous support from the fishing clubs across the state represented through the North Dakota Sportfishing Congress. A partnership with the Great Planers Trout and Salmon Club enables us to co-host the annual Kids Fishing Day event at the hatchery in September providing an opportunity for challenged kids to experience the thrill of catching trout. Volunteers from across the country arrive each spring at the hatchery to offer their talents assisting hatchery staff with fish production and providing guided tours through the hatchery. Contact the hatchery for more information on volunteering.
Services
The hatchery produces in excess of 25 tons of trout and salmon annually for stocking into North Dakota waters. It also raises cool water species such as walleye and pike for state agencies in North Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho, and Nevada, as well as occasional support for South Dakota and Montana.
About
The Garrison Dam National Fish Hatchery was established to mitigate the impacts of the Garrison Dam construction on Missouri River fish communities. Since its construction in 1961, the hatchery has produced millions of fish including northern pike, walleye, and trout. It is also a key facility for the propagation of the endangered pallid sturgeon, achieving its first successful spawning in 1998.