Canyon Creek Hatchery
Canyon Creek Fish Hatchery is owned by U.S. Forest Service (Tonto Forest), and operated by the Department’s Hatchery Program since 1969. A major renovation in 1992 converted the facility to its current use of 12 covered raceways and asphalting of all surface roads.
The infrastructure on the property includes 4 residences, a large hatchery shop/garage that also contains an office space and visitor center, a hatchery building with indoor tanks and a hydro-turbine to generate electricity for the facility, a feed storage shed, a public toilet, and several smaller structures for operational use. The property is staffed by four full-time Hatchery employees who reside on site and are responsible for day-to-day operations and maintenance of the site.
Canyon Creek Hatchery produces on average 80,000 lbs. of trout that represents 20% of the total trout stock in Arizona, generating an economic impact of $125.9 million to the state; also the hatchery dedicates around 90% of its trout production to stock the White Mountains which represent 65% of all the trout stocked in the White Mountains.
Location
Canyon Creek Hatchery is located approximately 45 miles east of Payson on Highway 260. Turn south off 260 onto Young Road (Forest Service Road 288) and travel south for three miles, then turn east on Forest Service Road 33 (located under the power line) and travel five miles to the facility. The roads are dirt from highway 260 south. The Young Road is a wide and maintained dirt road, and Forest Road (FR) 33 is a narrow dirt road. The last five miles of road to the hatchery are steep and winding which require a great deal of caution, especially during the winter months.
Open daily 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Closed for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Contact us 928 535-5475.
