New York State Fish Hatchery in Bath
While a fishing experience will connect you with the wild side of Steuben County, some of the fish you’ll be battling may have been raised in a fish hatchery and stocked in local streams and waterways. Fish hatcheries, like the one in Bath, allow the Department of Conservation to produce large numbers of healthy fish to “enhance recreational fishing," and also "to restore native species to waters they formerly occupied."
According the DEC, "hatcheries produce fish for stocking into more than 1,200 public waters across the state."
Visiting a fish hatchery can be fun for the whole family and it’s free! Stop by the New York State Fish Hatchery in Bath between 8:00am-3:45pm daily for an up-close view of fish in various stages of development from fingerlings to full-grown fish.
With many rivers, streams and canals connecting each Finger Lake to Great Lake Ontario, the region is a haven for boating and sport fishing. The New York State Fish Hatchery in Bath produces close to 1,000,000 fish each year, specializing in brown trout, rainbow trout, and lake trout.
For information about all 12 fish hatcheries and one fish pathology laboratory the DEC operates in New York State, click here.
On stocking days, you’ll often find avid anglers and non-fishermen alike observing the process if not helping.
To learn about Spring Trout Stocking which begins in March and runs through June, including specific details on which creeks, streams, and rivers are stocked with which species of trout on which dates, visit: http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/30465.html.
For additional information on why stocking fish is important, what types of fish are stocked, where they come from and more, visit the DEC’s website.
Bath Fish Hatchery
7169 Fish Hatchery Rd
Bath, NY 14810
(607) 776-7087