Welaka
Crescent City, FL 32112
Plan Your Visit
Welaka National Fish Hatchery has an active public use program. The hatchery maintains a 16-tank public aquarium, a nature trail, and an observation tower where wildlife and birds can be observed around the ponds. With our two new eagle-cams you can watch not only the eagles but ospreys and other wildlife as well. Volunteers are constantly staffing the cameras to look for anything interesting happening on the hatchery. The hatchery’s nature trail is currently closed due to safety concerns follow a small wildfire that left many trees dead. Once the trees are removed the trail will reopen. The hatchery is developing an Archery Program that will invite experienced and novice archers to shoot 3-D targets along the archery trail.
Welaka National Fish Hatchery is just one of the many field stations of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service whose mission is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.
Driving Directions to all major entrances:
Driving South on I-95 take exit 311 for HWY 207 towards Palatka. Highway 207 will “T” with HWY 17, turn left at the light onto HWY 17 south. Take Hwy 17 south to the three way light at County Road 309 and turn right. The aquarium will be 6 miles on the left, and the office is now located 3 miles south past the aquarium at 1011 County Road 309 Crescent City, FL 32112
Driving North on I-95 take exit 268 for HWY 40 and go left at the light. Go 25 mile on HWY 40 to Barberville and turn right onto HWY 17 north. On HWY 17 north go 18 miles to Crescent City and turn left on County road 308. Go 8 miles on County Road 308 to the “T” with County Road 309 and turn right. The office will be about 1 mile on the left and the aquarium will be 4 mile on the right.
Driving from Gainesville, FL. Take HWY 26 to HWY 100 south into Palatka. HWY 100 will join HWY 17 in Palatka. Follow HWY 17 o County Road 309 and turn right. The aquarium will be 6 miles on the left, and the office is now located 3 miles south past the aquarium at 1011 County Road 309 Crescent City, FL 32112
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.
Services
The next time you go fishing, you might just catch a fish that was raised at Welaka National Fish Hatchery. Since 1871, National Fish Hatcheries have been responding to conservation challenges affecting America’s fish and other aquatic species. Producing fish continues to be an irreplaceable tool in managing or restoring fisheries along with habitat conservation. In doing so, we help provide recreation opportunities to America’s 34 million anglers who spend $36 billion annually in pursuit of their favored pastime.
Welaka National Fish Hatchery produces Atlantic Striped Bass for the St. Johns River, Gulf Striped Bass for waters in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana that flow into the Gulf of America., Channel Catfish for military bases and kids fishing events, Bowfin for the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, Bluegill, and Redear Sunfish for recerational fishing at some of Florida's National Wildlife Refuges. The fish are stocked annually in reservoirs, lakes, rivers and coastal streams across the South Atlantic-Gulf & Mississippi Basin.
Welaka National Fish Hatchery is unique in the fact that the hatchery has programs that no other hatchery can boast about. In 2018 the hatchery began head starts the federal threatened Eastern Indigo Snake and a year later the first federally endangered Florida Grasshopper Sparrow was brought on station. You can say Welaka isn't JUST a fish hatchery any more.
About
Since 1871, National Fish Hatcheries have been applying science-based approaches to conservation challenges. We work with our partners and engage the public to conserve, restore, and enhance fish and other aquatic resources for the continuing benefit of the American people. Conservation is at the heart of what we do, and we recognize that we do this work for the American people–both the present generation who benefit today and future generations who will inherit our legacy of conserving America’s aquatic resources.
Welaka National Fish Hatchery is charged with producing Atlantic Striped Bass for the St. Johns River in order to maintain the population for ecological, historical and economic purposes. The hatchery also works with Gulf Coast states to produce and protect Gulf Striped Bass in rivers from Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana that flow into the Gulf of America. Recently, the hatchery has begun work with two federally listed species, the federally threatened Eastern Indigo Snake and the federally endangered Florida Grasshopper Sparrow.
The Welaka National Fish Hatchery was built in 1926 and originally operated by the State of Florida. In 1938 the hatchery was transferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In 1926, the hatchery started out as a deer and quail farm. When the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service took over operation in 1938, the focus was on farm pond management rising bass and bluegill. Over the years the hatchery has seen programs come and go. Striped bass are the top fish species the hatchery raises with nearly 1 million fingerlings produced in 2024. In 2018 the hatchery began working with the federally threatened Eastern Indigo Snake. Welaka NFH grows out the snakes before they are released into the wild. Welaka NFH began working in 2019 with the federally endangered Florida Grasshopper Sparrow. Like the Indigo snakes, the hatchery receives fledged sparrows and rears them until they are released into the wild.