Alchesay National Fish Hatchery

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.