Management and Conservation
The next time you go fishing, you might just catch a fish that was raised at Alchesay National Fish Hatchery. Since 1871, National Fish Hatcheries have been responding to conservation challenges affecting America’s fish and other aquatic species. 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 34 million anglers who spend $36 billion annually in pursuit of their favored pastime.
Alchesay National Fish Hatchery produces brown and rainbow trout. The fish are stocked annually in tribal reservoirs, lakes, and rivers across the southwest.
Our Services
Alchesay was designed to fulfill a federal responsibility for stocking waters on Tribal lands. Alchesay National Fish Hatchery stocks 17 different Indian reservations and Pueblos including: four different Apache reservations (White Mountain, Jicarilla, San Carlos, and Mescalero), eleven New Mexico Pueblos (Acoma, Isleta, Laguna, Nambe, Ohkay Owingeh, Picuris, Sandia, San Ildefonso, Santa Clara, Zia, and Zuni), the Navajo Nation in both Arizona and New Mexico, and the Hopi reservation. The demand for hatchery trout for public fishing waters usually far exceeds the supply.
Our Projects and Research
National Fish Hatcheries raise fish and other aquatic species – like crayfish and mussels - to help restore and sustain important fish and other aquatic species for the benefit of the American people. Freshwater mussels play very important roles in our rivers and lakes filtering the water and creating habitat for fish and aquatic insects fish like to eat. With declining fish populations and declining freshwater mussel populations becoming prevalent across the world, fish hatchery operations are important than ever.
The Alchesay facility serves as a “grow-out rearing unit” for brown trout and rainbow trout fingerlings that are transferred from the Williams Creek facility as 3-6 inch fingerlings. Alchesay has a sub-catchable and catchable program for the species on site. The fish raised at Alchesay National Fish Hatchery are stocked out on 17 different Indian reservations/Pueblos throughout Arizona and New Mexico.