Spring Creek National Fish Hatchery

About Spring Creek National Fish Hatchery

Established in 1901, the Spring Creek National Fish Hatchery (NFH) was one of several egg collection stations for the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries Clackamas Hatchery, near Portland. As the human population of the Columbia Gorge increased, heavy fishing pressure and destruction of habitat resulted in the U.S. government establishing a fish hatchery at this site. Today the hatchery raises more than 15 million Tule Fall Chinook salmon annually. The hatchery uses water from several springs located at the base of the adjacent basalt cliffs, recycling the water through a unique, oyster shell filtration system to conserve water and reduce pollution. Ninety percent of the water used in the hatchery rearing ponds is recycled. The hatchery is also open on weekends in late August, September and early October, and from December through mid-May.

How to Get There

Spring Creek National Fish Hatchery is located 4 miles west of the Hood River/White Salmon toll bridge on State Highway 14.

Plan Your Visit to Spring Creek National Fish Hatchery

Heading to Spring Creek National Fish Hatchery? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)