Nashua
Plan Your Visit
Most national fish hatcheries are located in remote or rural areas, but not our hatchery - the hatchery entrance even has its own stoplight! The hatchery is located within Nashua's city limits in a bustling commercial and residential area and has been an integral part of the community for over 120 years. .
After you're finished viewing the fish, come have lunch at one of our pollinator garden picnic tables scattered around the property!
Free guided tours are available Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., as hatchery staff workload and schedules allow. Please schedule tours in advance by calling 603-595-0891.
The Nashua National Fish Hatchery is located off of Exit 6, along the Everett Turnpike, right across from the Nashua Mall.
Activities
Featured Species
Get Involved
Whether you want to further conservation, learn more about nature, or share your love of the outdoors, you’ve come to the right place. National fish hatcheries provide many opportunities for you to help your community and fish and wildlife by doing what you love.
Volunteers: Gain new experiences and meet new people while helping to advance fish and aquatic conservation.
Friends: Join neighbors in helping hatcheries work effectively in our communities.
Local Groups: Find out how communities can work with hatcheries to conserve our shared natural resources.
Youth: Explore paid and unpaid opportunities to learn and develop leadership skills.
Services
The Nashua National Fish Hatchery produces Atlantic salmon, landlocked salmon, American shad and round whitefish. The fish are stocked annually in reservoirs, lakes, rivers and coastal streams across New England. The hatchery also produces several hundred brook trout annually for donation to local fishing derbies, outreach, and educational events.
About
The Nashua National Fish Hatchery, established in 1898, is one of the oldest federal fish hatcheries in the country. Originally focused on rainbow, brook, and brown trout, the facility shifted focus to Atlantic salmon restoration in 1978 and now manages a diverse range of species including American shad, round whitefish, and landlocked Atlantic salmon. Today, it plays a vital role in restoring endangered fish populations across New England waterbodies while supporting local outreach through its brook trout program.
The Nashua National Fish Hatchery is co-located with the Central New England Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office in Nashua, New Hampshire.
We also belong to a broader complex of FWS facilities known as the Maine-New Hampshire Fish and Wildlife Complex. The complex is comprised of 7 offices, including three national fish hatcheries. Collectively, we conserve the unique fish and wildlife of Maine and New Hampshire such as wood ducks, eagles, plovers, songbirds, cougar, lynx, brook trout, salmon and alewife.