Mad River Fish Hatchery

Enhancing and Preserving the North Coast's Fish Populations   Stop in and learn about fish. Juvenile chinook salmon enter the ocean during their first year of life after spending only a few months in fresh water. After spending 3 to 4 years in the ocean, they return to their river of origin to spawn. All Pacific salmon, both male and female, die after spawning.   Steelhead and coho (silver salmon) spend at least one year in freshwater, before making the journey to the sea. Most return in theIr third or forth year to spawn. Steelhead do not necessarily die after spawning and some spawn a second or third time.   The Mad River Fish Hatchery was built by the California Wildlife Conservation Board to enhance salmon and steelhead populations in the North Coast streams of California and is operated by the California Department of Fish and Game. Besides steelhead, salmon, the hatchery raises trout.

  Open to the public daily from 7:00am - 4:00pm.   Directions: Highway 299 to the Blue Lake Exit (5.3 miles east of Highway 101), go straight on Blue Lake Blvd. Continue straight through roundabout. Take next right onto Greenwood Road, approximately 0.4 miles. Turn left on Railroad to arrive at 1660 Hatchery Road, Arcata, CA 95521.