Bonnville Fish Hatchery

Bonneville Hatchery was first named “Central Hatchery” and was built in 1909. The hatchery receives thousands of visitors daily. The average number of visitors to the hatchery each year is one million people, from all over the world. The hatchery managed by Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, raises salmon and steelhead for sport, commerical and tribal fisheries in the lower Columbia River and along the northern Oregon Coast.


The hatchery raises 8 million Fall Chinook, 1.2 million Coho, 200 thousand Summer Steelhead, and 60 thousand Winter Steelhead. Adult salmon begin arriving at the hatchery in September and are then sorted through before spawning begins. Spawning begins during the last week in October and continues until the beginning of December. As part of their natural life cycle all Pacific Northwest Salmon die after spawning.


Trout Ponds
There are 2 Rainbow Trout ponds at the Hatchery but the trout here at Bonneville Fish Hatchery are not raised by them but only brought here for visitor enjoyment. There is a machine by the ponds where you can buy fish food for a quarter to feed the trouts.


Sturgeon Viewing Center
Beyond the outdoor sturgeon pond there is a small white building that you can walk into. This is the Sturgeon Viewing Center, which was built in 1998. Herman the Sturgeon is located in the Sturgeon Viewing Center and is approximately 10feet long, 425 pounds and over 60 years old. Herman was origionally taken from the Columbia River and transported to his exisiting home at the Hatchery in December of 1998.