Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery is headquarters for the Leavenworth Fisheries Complex. When built in 1940, it was the largest fish hatchery in the world! Currently, we raise 1.2 million spring Chinook salmon each year. The hatchery is also home to the Mid-Columbia Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office, a public boat launch, a tribal fishing area, and over 5 miles of public trails.
spring Chinook salmon adults
Fish Runs Announcement

Our fish ladder is now closed! Approximately 3,500 adult spring Chinook Salmon returned to Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery in 2024.

Visit Us

Photo overlooks a river in the fall, with leaves fallen from some trees and bushes but others still holding their brown and yellow leaves. The photo is taken from behind a bench, set on a low bluff for the view.
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Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery, located along beautiful Icicle Creek, is a spectacular location to picnic, observe wildlife, learn about the salmon life cycle, and enjoy a nature walk year-round. We host a variety of outdoor recreational activities throughout the year. Cascade Discovery School is located here. Activities include hatchery tours, special events, horseback rides, winter snowshoe tours, cross country skiing, and fish viewing.

For information about educational programs, visit our Get Involved page.

Location and Contact Information

      Tours

      A signboard is in front of the hatchery, with a map displayed, miscellaneous signs, a box with information flyers, and a container for dog poop bags.
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      The hatchery grounds are open to the public every day of the year (no overnight parking or camping). A self-guided tour brochure (English, Spanish) will help guide you around the hatchery grounds and trails. You can find a brochure at the signboards located at Hatchery Park, in front of the main hatchery building, and at our main trailhead leading to the Icicle Creek Nature Trail.  Check our Seasons of Wildlife section to find out what you might see during your visit.

      What We Do

      A smiling man in sunglasses, t-shirt, and waders, admires a huge Chinook salmon in spawning colors (reddish).
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      Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery raises spring Chinook salmon to mitigate for the loss of salmon migration upstream of Grand Coulee Dam. The program provides harvest opportunities while minimizing impacts to natural populations and the habitats they occupy. Coho salmon are also raised in cooperation with Yakama Nation Fisheries.

      But we're more than a hatchery. We manage 180 acres of land in Icicle Valley. Over 5 miles of trails wind through open pine forest and meadow, and visitors are welcome to walk and run, ride bikes and horses, and enjoy the outdoors. Special events are hosted here. For more information about hosting an event on our site or operating commercial activities, contact us about applying for permits.

      Looking for fish run information? Or weather data? Check out the What We Do page.

      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...
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      Our Species

      We raise spring Chinook salmon at Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery and partner with Yakama Nation Fisheries on their Wenatchee watershed coho salmon program.

      • Spring Chinook
      • Coho

      Get Involved

      There are many different ways to get involved and volunteer with our hatchery. Friends of Northwest Hatcheries supports many of our education and community events and programs throughout the year. Local volunteers help with spawning, cultivating the native pollinator garden, and improving our trails and visitor amenities. Hatchery hosts live on site and volunteer for a season, high school students work on community service projects, and many other individuals and groups get involved in other ways. For more information, please visit our Get Involved page.