About Fish Hatcheries

Our History

The National Fish Hatchery System was created by Congress on June 10th, 1872 to boost production of food fish to support commercial fisheries and feed families. Over the years, the system has evolved to meet the changing needs of conservation. Today the National Fish Hatchery System is the only national aquaculture program in existence dedicated entirely to the conservation of aquatic species. National fish hatcheries use aquaculture to raise threatened, endangered, or at-risk species in a safe captive environment for eventual release into a natural setting. This work, along with habitat restoration, and other federal protections, can help boost and support wild populations.  

We are a network of cutting-edge conservation offices dedicated to aquatic conservation.

• 71 National Fish Hatcheries raise and stock over 100 million fish every year to support recreational fishing, tribal subsistence fisheries, and the recovery and restoration of imperiled species.
• 7 Fish Technology Centers solve problems in hatchery operations and aquatic resource management.
• 6 Fish Health Centers work on the front lines of helping prevent the spread of aquatic viruses and keeping both wild and hatchery fish healthy.
• 1 Historic National Fish Hatchery and the National Fish and Aquatic Conservation Archives
• The Aquatic Animal Drug Approval Partnership is part of the Fish and Aquatic Conservation program’s fish health work. It is the only program in the United States dedicated to obtaining U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of new medications needed when raising fish at a facility and in protecting fishery resources.

Today there are 16 national fish hatcheries in operation that are more than a century old!

What We Do

Each year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Fish Hatchery System raises and distributes millions of fish and aquatic species to support conservation efforts across the country. Across 71 national fish hatcheries, our work enhances state and tribally managed recreational fisheries, supports tribes' self-determined conservation and subsistence fisheries, recovers threatened and endangered species, restores at risk populations, and mitigates the impacts of federal water projects.

By the Numbers (FY25):231,260,775

Fish and aquatic wildlife distributed by the National Fish Hatchery System in Fiscal Year 2025.These distributions include fish and aquatic wildlife released directly from national fish hatcheries, as well as eggs, fry, fingerlings, and adults transferred to conservation partners such as states, tribes, and other hatcheries.

Distribution Snapshot Breakdown

• 128 million – Fish and aquatic wildlife stocked directly by national fish hatcheries.
• 103 million – Fish and eggs transferred to conservation partners, including states and tribes, or to support future release.

Distributions by Purpose Category

National fish hatcheries released or transferred fish and aquatic wildlife for six primary conservation purposes. 

Release refers to fish and aquatic wildlife stocked directly by national fish hatcheries. Transfer refers to fish, eggs, or aquatic wildlife provided to partners for future release, broodstock development, or research and monitoring.

Data accurate as of August 2026. This is not a final authoritative dataset; figures may be updated.