Hayspur Fish Hatchery
Hayspur Fish Hatchery is a license-funded resident salmonid broodstock and production facility. Three captive broodstocks, rainbow trout, designated Hayspur strain, Colorado River Rainbow, and a Kamloop population, derived from Skanes/Gloyd Springs stock, are maintained on station. Since the start of facility renovation in 1989, eyed egg production for 11 resident programs has been a priority. An on-site, free, public campground, consumptive pond fishery, and a trophy stream fishery are maintained by hatchery personnel.

The hatchery is located in Blaine County, approximately 40 miles south of Sun Valley, on Loving Creek. To reach the Hayspur Hatchery travel North on Highway 95 from Twin Falls approximately 50 miles to the intersection of Highway 95 and U.S. 20. Turn east on Highway 20, travel approximately 6 miles to the entrance of the hatchery.

Fish culture facilities include an incubation building housing Heath stacks, isolation incubators, moist egg chiller, early rearing troughs, a hatchery building with 20 early rearing tanks, 12 covered 24-foot circular ponds, 6 small fingerling tanks, and 6 large raceways.

Water sources include the Hayspur Spring of 3.0 to 5.5 cubic feet per second (cfs) at 52ºF, three pumped artesian wells producing 5.0 cfs at 48ºF to 52ºF, and 7.4 to 18 cfs of Loving Creek water at 33ºF to 73ºF.

Eyed eggs were shipped to various schools. Schools in Naples, Kellogg, Stanley, and Horseshoe Bend received eggs, and the resultant fry were stocked out into area waters as part of Adopt-a-Stream projects. The Morrison-Knudsen Nature Center, in Boise, was shipped eyed eggs for public viewing of the developmental stages.

A reach of Loving Creek downstream of the hatchery was rehabilitated in 1992. This reach, which was not stocked, has developed a strong population of wild and feral fish.
Written and compiled by Jacqueline Harvey 1999.