At Cleghorn Springs near Rapid City, South Dakota, the Game, Fish and Parks Department raises trout and salmon which are stocked in the state’s fishing waters. Rainbow trout and Chinook salmon are the major species raised. Five hundred thousand fish, totaling 90,000 pounds, are produced annually.
Activities at the hatchery vary by seasons. In the fall and early winter, hatchery workers collect eggs from brood fish. Eggs are placed into incubator trays to hatch. Hatching takes 30 days for rainbow trout and 45 days for Chinook salmon at a constant 52 degrees Fahrenheit spring water temperature.
The newly hatched sac-fry are placed into tanks inside the hatchery building. When they have grown to two inches, the fish, now known as fingerlings, are moved to outside raceways where they are kept until stocked.
Most trout are released to lakes and streams from April through October.
Location:West Hwy. 44, Rapid City, South Dakota
Phone: 605-394-2391