White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery

White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery is a center for imperiled aquaic species recovery and a Grade A disease free rainbow trout hatchery.

We had CPR and First Aid training at the hatchery last week, and our team jumped right in—practicing lifesaving skills t...
08/25/2026

We had CPR and First Aid training at the hatchery last week, and our team jumped right in—practicing lifesaving skills that help keep both our staff and the public safe. Turns out we’re pretty good at it too… once we stop overthinking where to put our hands.
Thank you to Jacob Tubert for leading an excellent training session and keeping us engaged the whole time. We’re now better prepared for emergencies—and slightly more coordinated than we were before.
Stay safe out there!

Monday Mudbug Update! Our little Meadow River mudbugs are growing up so fast and they've just hit a big milestone—they'r...
08/24/2026

Monday Mudbug Update! Our little Meadow River mudbugs are growing up so fast and they've just hit a big milestone—they're starting to turn blue like their parents! You might think, 'Hmm, that's not super exciting,' but honestly, they begin life as red as strawberry candy so the change is pretty drastic! Isn't that amazing?

08/22/2026

Feeding the rainbow trout in our display pool is one of the most popular activities at the hatchery! If you haven't tried it yet, you're in for a treat. We get to feed trout every day and it's always fun, and honestly, it never gets old. These are our 2026 broodstock cohort they will grow to over 5 lbs in the next 2 years. Come see for yourself!

08/19/2026

Spent some time today day size grading our young smallmouth bass, and it’s always wild to see how quickly some of these little athletes shoot ahead of the pack. Even when they’re all the same age, a few grow like they’re training for the Bass Olympics, while others take their sweet time.
Size grading helps us keep everyone healthy and growing strong. Separating the fast growers from the slow growers reduces competition, cuts down on stress, and makes sure every fish gets the food and space it needs.

Happy Monday from the lab, where our Meadow River Mudbugs (Cambarus pauleyi) have decided to show up extra blue and extr...
08/17/2026

Happy Monday from the lab, where our Meadow River Mudbugs (Cambarus pauleyi) have decided to show up extra blue and extra grumpy today. Honestly, same buddy… if I had pinchers, I’d be waving them at Monday too.

08/14/2026

Big Mudbug News!
Our Little Brown Mudbugs (Lacunicambarus thomai) have been on an absolute growth streak these past 3 weeks! These little diggers are bulking up, getting bolder, and acting like they run the place. It’s amazing what a few weeks of good habitat and TLC can do. 🦞💪🌱

08/13/2026

🌊🐟 Nature’s Underwater Show: Lampsilis Mussel Lure Displays!
Did you know some freshwater mussels are master illusionists? Gravid female mussels in the genus Lampsilis use their fleshy mantle extensions as live lures to mimic prey—tiny fish or even leeches—to trick larger predatory fish into striking! 🪱🎣
🔹 What’s going on beneath the surface?
Species like Lampsilis fasciola (wavy‑rayed lampmussel) display two striking lure types:
“Darter-like” with eyespots and a tail, mimicking darter fish
“Worm-like” in orange-black hues, resembling leeches
When a host fish (e.g., bass) bites, it triggers the release of thousands of microscopic mussel larvae called glochidia. These attach to the fish’s gills and complete their parasitic larval phase before dropping off as juveniles.

08/12/2026

Our juvenile fantail darters (Etheostoma flabellare) are officially hitting a growth milestone—25 mm and looking fabulous! 🎉🐟
These tiny river rockstars are growing up strong to help us out as host animals for our mussel production. It’s amazing watching them go from speck-sized swimmers to confident little darters with big jobs ahead.
Cheers to healthy fish, future mussels, and the cool science that makes it all possible! 🌊🧪💙

08/10/2026

Happy Monday, everyone!
Our New River crayfish (Cambarus chasmodactylus) babies are hatching, and honestly... it's hard to beat starting the week with a bunch of brand‑new craylings!
These little guys pop out at around 8 mm, basically the size of a grain of rice with attitude. And fun fact: C. chasmodactylus is one of the largest crayfish species in the Appalachian Mountains up to 230mm — so these tiny hatchlings are destined to become some seriously impressive river tanksters one day!

08/06/2026

What a day!!! 🎉🦞
We kicked off the field season with an amazing catch of BIG Sandy Crayfish alongside our fantastic partners at the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources — and a huge shoutout to the awesome team from the West Virginia Department of Transportation for jumping in to help!
Not only did we collect several healthy individuals… we found TWO females with eggs! This is the perfect start to our 2026 Big Sandy crayfish production season, and we couldn’t be more excited.
Here’s to a season full of big finds, great teamwork, and important conservation wins! 💚🙌🦞
Celebratory hashtags:

Address

1087 East Main Street
White Sulphur Springs, WV
24986

Opening Hours

Monday 7:30am - 3:30pm
Tuesday 7:30am - 3:30pm
Wednesday 7:30am - 3:30pm
Thursday 7:30am - 3:30pm
Friday 7:30am - 3:30pm

Telephone

+13045361361

Website

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