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Did you know our hatcheries aren’t the only places where you can see salmon? Through partnerships with local organizations, we bring salmon tanks to schools, libraries, and learning centers, giving students and visitors a front-row seat to the salmon lifecycle.
Raising salmon in these tanks helps students and community members connect with nature and understand the importance of conservation. We provide the materials and expertise - all the sites need is a cozy space for the tanks and to feed these growing fish!
Each winter, tanks receive either Chinook or coho salmon eggs. Over the next few months, participants watch them grow before releasing them from one of our hatcheries in April. Below are a few of our community salmon tanks you can visit and see the magic unfold:
Wenatchee River Institute
Wenatchee River Institute offers programs for all ages, from after-school activities to educational talks. Our salmon live in the Red Barn, where hundreds of visitors observe their growth throughout winter and spring. Despite the flooding and windstorm in Leavenworth in December 2025 (which caused a power outage for a couple of days), these little salmon proved resilient and are thriving!
Mountain Sprouts
Mountain Sprouts is an outdoor preschool that connects children to nature, making it the perfect home for a salmon tank. Curious preschoolers check on the salmon daily, learning how these tiny fish will one day return to our rivers as large adults. Engaging kids early in salmon conservation creates lifelong connections to the environment!
Winthrop Public Library
This is the Winthrop Public Library’s first year hosting a salmon tank. Families and community members who visit the library regularly now have the unique opportunity to watch salmon grow. The library also features salmon-related stories for youth through adults. We’re excited to partner with the library for future events like the salmon release at the hatchery, Winthrop Kids Fishing Day, and snowshoe walks! The Cashmere Public Library also hosts a salmon tank in partnership with Cascade Fisheries.
Salmon from the community tanks in Leavenworth will be released during our Salmon Release Party in April, giving visitors the chance to release salmon into Icicle Creek themselves - an unforgettable hands-on experience! Coho eggs come from Yakama Nation Fisheries, a vital partner for our community salmon tanks and the Salmon in the Schools program. We also support release field trips for the Salmon in the Schools program run by Cascade Fisheries. By partnering with these organizations, our tanks inspire the next generation of salmon stewards and bring the wonders of the salmon lifecycle to classrooms, community centers, and beyond.
Want to host a salmon tank at your site? If you’re near one of our hatcheries and interested in joining this program, email us at leavenworth@fws.gov to learn more.
The next time you go fishing, you might just catch a salmon that was raised at Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery. 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 39.9 million anglers who spend $99.4 billion annually in pursuit of their favored pastime. Learn more about Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery!
