Clark Fork Fish Hatchery
The Clark Fork Hatchery is a resident species hatchery located on Spring Creek, 1.5 miles northwest of Clark Fork, Idaho. To reach the Clark Fork hatchery, travel 1 mile west of the town of Clark Fork on highway 200 and turn north immediately west of the bridge over Spring creek, travel 1.5 miles north to the entrance of the hatchery.

Approximately 10,000 Westslope cutthroat trout broodstock are held on station, providing the state's only captive source of Westslope cutthroat eggs. In addition to Westslope cutthroat, brook trout, brown trout, golden trout, Kamloops rainbow trout, Arctic grayling, and kokanee are reared for distribution in the waters of the Panhandle Region. A target goal of 125,000 rainbow trout greater than 9 inches long are distributed to the put-and-take fishery from March through October. Originally constructed by the Work Project Administration in 1934 and completed in 1938, the Clark Fork Hatchery is now funded for operation by IDFG license fees. Water diverted from Spring Creek provides for incubation and rearing, with flows of 8-15 cubic feet per second (cfs) at temperatures averaging 41ºF in winter and 48ºF in summer. A well provides approximately 100 gallons per minute (gpm) of 45ºF water to one bank of incubators. Unused well water can be diverted to fiberglass rearing troughs to mix with Spring Creek water. Rearing units include Heath incubator stacks, concrete and fiberglass early rearing vats, concrete raceways, and earthen broodstock ponds.


Written and compiled by Jacqueline Harvey 1999.