The Bozeman Fish Technology Center offers technical assistance to national and state fish hatcheries, conservation propagation programs, fish management offices, state, tribal and non-governmental organizations.

About Us

Historic view looking northwest from the bottom of Drinking Horse Mountain.

The Bozeman Fish Technology Center  is one of six Fish Technology Centers within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program. 

What We Do

Technology centers work collaboratively with government, state, tribal, university, and private partners.  Fish Technology Centers provide leadership in development of new concepts, strategies, and technologies for science-based conservation and management of aquatic resources.

Our Organization

Juvenile Northern Pike in aquarium at Gavins Point National Fish Hatchery, South Dakota
The Fish and Aquatic Conservation program leads aquatic conservation efforts for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We are committed to tackling the nation’s highest priority aquatic conservation and recreational challenges to conserve, restore, and enhance fisheries for future generations.
150 Years. National Fish Hatchery System.” in front of glossy orange eggs against a white background.
The National Fish Hatchery System works to support healthy, self-sustaining populations of fish and other aquatic species across the country. Every year we raise and stock over 100 million fish to support the recovery and restoration of imperiled species, recreational fishing, and Tribal...
A fish with a reddish tone body with black spots on upper part of body, this side view of a Chinook salmon shows the salmon swimming right above a gravel riverbed.
Healthy fisheries are core to the conservation work of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We are working with partners to protect and enhance the health of fish and other aquatic animals in aquaculture and in the wild.

Our Species

A pallid sturgeon swims along a rocky stream bed. The fish is long and slender, with whiskers and small ridges along its back and sides.

The pallid sturgeon was first recognized as a species different from shovelnose sturgeon by S. A. Forbes and R. E. Richardson in 1905 based on a study of nine specimens collected from the Mississippi River near Grafton, Illinois (Forbes and Richardson 1905). They named this new species...

FWS Focus
Three men hold a long, shiny, gray fish in the water near the edge of a river.

The Kootenai River white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) is 1 of 18 land-locked populations of white sturgeon known to occur in western North America. Kootenai sturgeon occur in Idaho, Montana, and British Columbia, Canada, and are restricted to approximately 167.7 River Mile (RM) of the...

FWS Focus

Projects and Research

Researchers and technical staff at the Bozeman Fish Technology Center (BFTC) work collaboratively with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Fish Hatchery System, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Offices, Fish Health Centers, and other Federal, State, and private partners. The BFTC’s research focuses on recovery and restoration of sensitive, threatened, and endangered aquatic populations. We have Research Programs in the fields of Conservation Physiology and Ecology, Fish Nutrition and Diet Development, Sensitive Aquatic Species Conservation, Fish Passage, and Screening.

Visit Us

Many visitors come to tour the Bozeman Fish Technology Center to see the fish and experience the diverse natural setting. Children enjoy feeding the trout in the pond, while nature enthusiasts enjoy the incredible outdoor setting along Bridger Creek and adjacent to the Gallatin National Forest by walking the nature trails. For your safety and for the benefit of the our research programs, please respect signs and facility access limitations. Bozeman Fish Technology is not currently offering tours at this time.  

Get Involved

The Center is developing a volunteer program to provide community service at the Center. Work ranges from grounds, trails and fish culture, to giving tours and working with the Friends of the Center. If you are interested in learning more about what you can do to get involved, please call (406) 994-9902 and talk with Jeff Powell, current Center Director of the Bozeman Fish Tech Center. 

Location and Contact Information