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U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Return to White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery

Services

Updated October 15, 2026

Rainbow Trout Broodstock Production 

We produce disease free eggs for the National Broodstock Program to mitigate areas impacted by federal water projects. Between six and eight million rainbow trout eggs are shipped annually to 20 different federal, state and tribal hatcheries as far north as Maine and as far west as New Mexico. The eggs are then hatched, raised and stocked in lakes and streams across the country. These eggs are provided to federal, tribal, and state hatchery partners to produce a catchable size trout that support recreational fishing opportunities. After the eggs are shipped, the hatchery provides over 13,000 retired rainbow trout to the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians for stocking.

closeup photo of Rainbow trout eggs
National Broodstock Program’s Egg Distribution Service
The National Broodstock Program was established in 1970 to support healthy sustainable fisheries in waterways across the country.
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