Fish Species Raised at Mad River Hatchery

Steelhead Trout

Steelhead trout are an anadromous form of the rainbow trout that go to the ocean for one or more years and then return to spawn upstream, similar to a salmon. They differ from salmon in that a steelhead may spawn and return to the ocean, and then spawn again in another year.

Chinook Salmon

Mad River Hatchery hatches and rears triploid (PDF) Chinook salmon for distribution to approved, land-locked (inland) lakes for recreational anglers in California.

Rainbow Trout

This popular fish, native to the tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in North American and Asia, can now be found all over the world. Farmed as food in many areas, it can now be found worldwide for recreational angling and as a food source. Rainbow trout are a premier fish desired by anglers for recreational fishing in California. Those provided for recreational angling are now sterile (triploid (PDF)).

Mad River Hatchery main page

Fisheries Branch
1010 Riverside Parkway, West Sacramento, CA 95605 | Fisheries@wildlife.ca.gov