Saskatchewan Fish Hatchery
The Saskatchewan Fish Hatchery is the only aquaculture facility in Saskatchewan producing and stocking fish into public waters to support angling across the province. Established in 1915 along Echo Lake near Fort Qu’Appelle, the facility has been operating to support Saskatchewan’s recreational fishery for over a century.
The annual fish stocking plans are developed by provincial fisheries biologists from Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Environment. Up to 150 waters across Saskatchewan receive hatchery-produced fish each year.
Administration
In November of 2014, the administration of the Saskatchewan Fish Hatchery (previously called the Fort Qu’Appelle Fish Culture Station) was transferred from the Government of Saskatchewan to the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation. The Hatchery’s operating costs continue to be funded by Saskatchewan’s Fish and Wildlife Development Fund (FWDF). The FWDF now receives 30 per cent of the revenue generated from all fur, angling and hunting licenses sold in the province.
The Facility
Equipped with a fry shelter, water filtration plant, hatchery, workshop, and brood building the facilities at the Hatchery enable staff to raise fish through their entire life cycle from egg to adult stages.
Currently, the main species produced are walleye, a variety of trout (rainbow, brown, brook, lake, tiger and splake) and occasionally, northern pike.
Education/ Tours
The Hatchery is usually open to the public and school groups for tours from May 1st to Labor Day every year. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Hatchery has remained closed to visitors to ensure the health and safety of the staff. While all tours of the hatchery have been paused, fish production has continued.
Please Note: Regular visitor hours are to resume in the spring of 2022.
For updates on the Saskatchewan Fish Hatchery, feel free to like the Hatchery page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaskFishHatchery.
For current information on where Hatchery-raised fish have been stocked in the province, the annual Stocked Waters Guides are posted in the Government of Saskatchewan’s online publications here: https://publications.saskatchewan.ca/#/categories/53
To view the 2022 Stocked Waters Guide, visit https://publications.saskatchewan.ca/#/products/119378