Established in 1939, Creston National Fish Hatchery in northwest Montana was the first and only hatchery to raise endangered bull trout.

Visit Us

Open to the public, Creston National Fish Hatchery is in the beautiful Flathead Valley approximately 15 miles east of Kalispell and 36 miles south of Glacier National Park. The hatchery sits at the base of the Swan Mountain Range and is surrounded by prime agricultural farmland which provides a picturesque setting for raising fish and providing educational opportunities on the forested grounds.

Location and Contact Information

      About Us

      Fishing at Creston hatchery
      Image Details

      Established in 1939, Creston NFH originally provided fingerling trout for Glacier National Park. Today, the hatchery stocks fish on tribal lands, for mitigation purposes, to restore native fish and for outreach at kids fishing ponds.

      What We Do

      Creston National Fish Hatchery currently raises two strains of rainbow trout; Eagle Lake and Arlee, and one strain of westslope cutthroat trout; Montana MO12. Annually Creston stocks approximately 750,000 rainbow and 250,000 westslope cutthroat trout, all within the State of Montana. Currently on hold, the hatchery will begin producing native bull trout in 2025.

      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.
      Program
      Falls Church,VA
      Orange fish eggs on a white background.
      The National Fish Hatchery System raises millions of fish and aquatic wildlife to improve sustainable recreational fishing, support fisheries that have been impacted by a federal dam, recover federally listed threatened or endangered species, fulfill our Tribal Trust responsibilities, and prevent...
      Program

      Our Species