 The
Page Springs Hatchery located between Sedona
and Cottonwood is the largest trout growing facility
in Arizona. Page Springs annually raises more
than 600,000 catchable rainbow trout (9.5 inches),
50,000 brown trout of assorted sizes, and around
100,000 rainbow fingerlings. Fish from this large
hatchery are distributed year round all across
the state.
Water at this hatchery is unique among trout
culture facilities. Normally, trout are cultured
in water temperatures between 45 to 55 F. The
water temperature from the springs here is a
constant 68 F, with a flow capacity of up to
17 million gallons daily.
The 68-degree water allows for faster fish grow-outs – it
takes about nine months to produce a catchable
size fish versus up to 18 months at other hatcheries.
There is also a routine downside: The water is
too warm for transporting trout efficiently.
Therefore, the hatchery has an ice machine capable
of making 500 pounds of ice daily to cool down
the water in the hatchery trucks.
Page Springs is located approximately 10 miles
south of Sedona and 10 miles north of Cottonwood.
off Highway 89A on the Page Springs Road. The
best access is from Interstate 17. Take the McGuirville
exit (exit 293), turn west for approximately
10 miles to Cornville; turn north on Page Springs
Road for five miles to hatchery entrance.
Visitation hours: 8
a.m. to 4 p.m. 7 days a week except for Thanksgiving
and Christmas.
Special features: There is a wildlife viewing
area at the site with parking. Trails from
the parking lot lead to remote areas of the
property
that are excellent for viewing wildlife.
The department has partnered with the Northern
Arizona Audubon Society to develop this aspect
of the
site. Trails at this site are more developed
then those of Bubbling Ponds Hatchery. Visitation
for this area is dawn to dusk seven days
a
week. There is a visitation center with public
restrooms
and picnic tables for a meal break. Species Cultured: Rainbow and brown trout.
Areas Stocked: Stocking occurs year round with
fish distribution in all areas of the state.
This facility is responsible for trout stocking
during winter in the lower elevation waters
in Arizona, such as Canyon Lake, Saguaro
Lake, the
Lower Salt River, and Tempe Town Lake.
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