Dworshak National Fish Hatchery is located at the confluence of the North Fork and mainstem Clearwater River, 3 miles west of Orofino, Idaho. The hatchery was constructed by the Corps of Engineers in the late 1960's to mitigate for the loss of Steelhead Trout in the North Fork of the Clearwater River and its tributaries as a result of the construction of Dworshak Dam. The hatchery is managed by the Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho. The Service and Tribe maintain existing production goals for Steelhead trout, Chinook salmon, and Coho Salmon and continue working together to enhance fishery resources of the Clearwater River Basin. Our fish are all anadromous, meaning they make a 500 mile round-trip journey from the hatchery to the sea, then back again to spawn.
Several Adult salmon are being duped from a large metal cage onto a wet metal table. Two adults are standing at the table with the fish.
Chinook Sort Tuesday, July 23!!

The fish trap is filling up so its time to do our second adult Spring Chinook salmon sort. 

We will inventory the fish in the trap, count males and females, take lengths, and record tag data. The fish will be moved to our holding ponds and be spawned in August. 

Come on by between 8:30 am and noon to get an up close look at these amazing fish!

Tours

Spring Chinook Spawning will begin in August

Tours of the hatchery are offered in two formats: self guided (using a provided brochure) and guided. 

Guided tours typically take roughly 45 minutes to an hour, and self-guided tours can vary based on our visitor's pace. Both versions will take you inside and outside, and they are all walking tours. The hatchery is suitable for wheelchairs and slower moving visitors, with ramps and an indoor elevator as well.  Tours are also suited for visitors of all ages. It is requested that all visitors refrain from climbing or touching any ponds, water, or any equipment. 

The tours will take you to various sight-seeing points such as: the indoor spawning deck, the lobby with dioramas and videos, outdoor adult holding ponds, the fish ladder, views of Dworshak Dam, the Northfork, and the Clearwater main stem rivers. You can also see Chinook fry raceways, Coho fry ponds and steelhead fry ponds. During certain times of the year, marking trailers are on-site, clipping adipose fins. 

If you are hoping to take a guided tour, please check with our main office as appointments are required. 

What We Do

The front of Dworshak National fish hatchery main administration building. In the forefront a natural-looking water feature is shown with an American Flag on a flagpole.
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The Dworshak National Fish Hatchery was built in 1969 on the clearwater river to mitigate for lost salmon runs due to the construction of Dworshak Dam.

WHAT WE DO... AND WHY

Dworshak National Fish Hatchery produces large B-steelhead trout to mitigate for habitat lost in the North Fork Clearwater River due to the construction of Dworshak Dam, and produces spring Chinook salmon to mitigate for lost habitat due to construction of the four federal lower Snake River dams. The Nez Perce Tribe is also rebuilding coho salmon runs in the Clearwater River Basin through the Coho Restoration Program at the hatchery.

Four Seasons of Rearing

Winter: Chinook and coho eggs hatch and develop in the darkness of incubation trays. Hatchery employees use the winter months to prepare the nursery for the busy spring. Steelhead trapping continues and adults are spawned.

Spring: Chinook and steelhead smolts are released. New Chinook and coho fry are ponded into raceways. New steelhead juveniles move into the nursery from incubators and then to outside Burrows ponds. Steelhead spawning continues.

Summer: Adult Chinook trapping is followed by spawning. Juvenile fish continue growing outside.  Adipose fin clipping and coded-wire tagging occurs. 

Fall: Coho are trapped and spawned. Steelhead trapping begins as well.  Spring Chinook eggs are kept on chilled water to ensure they develop in tune with their natural cycle.

Our Organization

A man is fishing in a boat with three young girls. The kids are excitedly pulling a fish out of the water.
The Fish and Aquatic Conservation programs work together to deliver resilient habitats, healthy fish, connected people, and strong partnerships. From habitat restoration to aquatic invasive species prevention, captive breeding to population assessment and monitoring, our programs are driven by the...
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

Salmon being transferred into a different pond
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OUR FISH

The famous Clearwater “B” strain of steelhead trout return to the hatchery from the Pacific Ocean, more than 500 miles away, from October until May, and are spawned from January through April. 

Chinook salmon return from May to August, and are spawned from late August to early September. 

Adult Coho salmon return from October thru late November, with spawning occurring during that time.

At Dworshak, we take great pride in raising healthy fish. Our annual fish production includes 2.1 million steelhead trout, 1.65 million spring Chinook smolts, 700,000 spring Chinook parr, and 500,000 Coho Salmon. 

Visit Us

Clearwater river mainstem
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Dworshak National Fish Hatchery is located west of Orofino, Idaho, in Clearwater County. It is settled on the Clearwater River where the Northfork meets the mainstem.

To visit the hatchery, turn off State Highway 12 at the Orofino bridge and continue one block north.  Turn left and follow State Highway 7 about 3 miles to the hatchery.  Visitors are welcome to self-tour the hatchery from 7:30a.m. until 3:00p.m. daily.  Please call in advance for information about group tours and dates of hatchery activities.

Latest News

Children fishing at a reservoir on a summer day
Recreation
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Little girl smiling with a fishing pole in front of a stream
Recreation
Summer Fishing Events
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Dworshak National Fish Hatchery on the Clearwater, sunset after a storm.
History and Culture
50 Years of the Boldt Decision
On Feb. 12, 1974, Judge George Boldt issued a decision in a case of the United States v. State of Washington. This became known as the “Boldt Decision,” which affirmed Tribes’ treaty reserved rights to half the catch of salmon and steelhead fisheries, with the Tribes and state managing the...
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For Parents and Educators
Fun and FREE Fishing Events Near You!
Ready to get out and do something fun? The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a ton of fishing and fishing related events that we’re so excited to share with you.  BUT it’s hard to list them all so we’re giving you a sample of just a few of our events from around the U.S.
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Get Involved

We are always looking for volunteers to help with guided tours, spawning, and outreach events! If you are interested in getting involved, call Angela Feldmann at 208-476-2238.

Location and Contact Information