Fairview Fish Hatchery

Fairview Fish Culture Station

The Fairview Fish Hatchery, a part of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, is 1 of 14 fish hatcheries in PA that raise Steelhead. They raise them to stock Pennsylvania's streams which is an important part of making sure there are trout in them.

We Learned:

Trout swim up streams during the Fall
Spawn from November to February
Steelhead Trout return to the lake in the Spring.
Smolts (young fish) are released into Lake Erie in March
Steelhead Trout are a migratory type of Rainbow Trout

Why do they grow (stock) the fish?

Trout eggs need protection until they hatch. Steelhead Trout prefer to lay their eggs in gravel for protection because the eggs take 7 to 10 weeks to hatch. Because the creeks around here have mostly shale bottoms, the trout eggs are usually quickly washed out to the lake where they can be eaten by other fish and animals. The eggs have a smaller chance of hatching into a fish in the lake than they do under gravel in a creek.

Click the Steelhead Trout to Learn more about Trout.

Fairview Fish Hatchery

We Learned:

June 2007