Fall Creek Fish Hatchery Chinook Salmon and Coho Salmon Egg Collection and Ferti

May 2, 2025

CDFW hatcheries plays a vital role in supporting salmon populations in the Klamath Basin and throughout California. Last fall, CDFW witnessed the historic return of salmon to an undammed Klamath River. CDFW is pleased to report that 317 fall-run Chinook salmon and 45 coho salmon reached CDFW’s Fall Creek Fish Hatchery in its first season of operation. The Fall Creek Fish Hatchery is located about 7.5 miles upstream of the former Iron Gate Dam location. From those returning fish, CDFW collected and fertilized 295,677 Chinook salmon eggs and 42,464 coho salmon eggs. The salmon from these eggs will be released into the Klamath River, via the Fall Creek tributary. Watch this video.

local news up in norcal is we are losing the mad river hatchery. I have only caught a few steelhead out of there and the population seems to have been dwindling ever since I started fishing for them! Was neat to take people up to feed the babies and see them in the tank, I used to run out after work to a hole upstream of the hatchery and throw a spoon at them. One more year I guess and then I can stop curing roe.

https://wildlife.ca.gov/News/Archive/cdfw-to-end-hatchery-operations-at-mad-river-fish-hatchery-in-humboldt-county