Valley City
Valley City, ND 58072-9619
Plan Your Visit
The Valley City National Fish Hatchery has several areas specifically designed to enhance the visitors experience while touring the hatchery. To the east of the main hatchery entrance is a day use area that has a pollinator garden, primitive nature trail, covered picnic areas, and a fire ring. To the west of the main entrance is a day use area complete with a primitive canoe launch, picnic bench/shelter, and charcoal grill area. As you enter the main hatchery grounds visitors will find additional picnic areas around the kids fishing pond. If you are in the mood for a little bit of exercise, visitors are encouraged to walk or run around the gravel roads that shape the hatcheries production ponds.
The Valley City kids fishing pond is intended to be used by children under the age of 12 who are accompanied by a parent or guardian. The pond is open for fishing year-round from dawn to dusk.
The hatchery constructed a nature trail and pollinator garden on the Earl Pomeroy public use area located just east of the main hatchery entrance. The pollinator garden consists of 350 plants that represent more than 50 species of forbs and grasses native to North Dakota.
The facility is located thirty minutes to the east of Jamestown, ND on interstate 94. Take exit 290; turn left at the bottom of the off ramp and continue to Main Street. Turn right and Take Main Street through town (approximately three miles) to Fifth Street. Turn left and head north three miles passing under the historic train bridge and going over the Sheyenne River. Turn left after the grain elevator travel down the road several miles and make a left to enter the facility.
Activities
Featured Species
Get Involved
The Youth Conservation Corp (YCC) program provides hands-on experience in resource conservation for participants aged fifteen to eighteen. Additionally, the hatchery property hosts Camp Tonweya, a Girl Scout camp managed by Dakota Horizons, which offers outdoor education and leadership opportunities for youth.
Services
Valley City National Fish Hatchery along with the Baldhill Dam Rearing Unit plays an important role in providing quality fishing opportunities throughout the Great Plains Region and in restoring Lake Sturgeon and Freshwater Mussel populations within the Hudson Bay Drainage.
The Valley City hatchery infrastructure consists of 14 earthen ponds totaling 25.8 surface acres of extensive fish culture as well as two intensive fish production buildings, a zero-discharge water re-use building designed for research and a holding house building designed for egg incubation and early life stage rearing.
The Baldhill Unit consists of 20 earthen ponds totaling 15.2 surface acres of extensive fish culture as well as an intensive fish production building designed for egg incubation, early life stage rearing of native and endangered fish and freshwater mussel propagation.
About
Valley City National Fish Hatchery is one of two national fish hatcheries responsible for providing quality fishing opportunities in North Dakota and throughout the Great Plains Region. Valley City was originally built for bass and bluegill production. The hatchery site was purchased on July 26, 1938 from the State of North Dakota for the sum of $1.00. Construction was started in 1938 and completed in 1940.
