Green Lake National Fish Hatchery

Green Lake National Fish Hatchery is a large scale, cold water, hatchery located in Ellsworth, Maine as part of the Maine Fisheries Complex located in Orland, Maine. It is one of 70 national fish hatcheries within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service supporting The Fisheries Program, working to preserve America’s aquatic resources. The Hatchery is part of the Atlantic salmon recovery program for Gulf of Maine Rivers. The primary mission at Green Lake NFH is to provide smolts and parr for these rivers. Currently fish are released into the Penobscot River basin (ME), Narraguagus River basin (ME), and the Pleasant River basin (ME). They release 650,000 yearling Atlantic salmon smolts and 350,000 fall parr each year. These annual releases currently account for 70% of the USA home water returns of adult Atlantic salmon.The Green Lake National Fish Hatchery welcomes visitors during the hours of 8 am through 4 pm for a self-guided tour. Staff will generally be available to answer questions and educate visitors of all ages on the development of the Atlantic salmon and the mission of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in protecting the endangered Atlantic salmon. The hatchery offers an outreach room with videos and a living stream as well as the opportunity to experience a working Hatchery. Large groups, with advanced notice can get a staff member guided tour.