Henry's Lake Hatchery

3850 Hwy. 87
Island Park, ID 83429
(208) 558-7202

The Henrys Lake facility is located in southeast Idaho near the town of Island Park. The facility can be reached by driving 45 miles north of Ashton, Idaho on highway 20 until you reach the junction with Highway 87. Drive 3.5 miles northwest on Highway 87, and the facility will be visible on the left side of the road on the banks of Henrys Lake. A visitor parking lot is available with room for 10-15 vehicles. The phone number to the facility is (208) 558-7202.

Site Overview
The Henrys Lake facility is an egg taking station only. This means that we have fish on site only during the spawning period from mid February through April. There is a fish ladder on site. Watching the Yellowstone cutthroat trout ascend the ladder during the spawning period is a popular activity. Viewing these returning fish is encouraged any day of the week during daylight hours. The spawn taking activities usually take place twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays. Watching these spawn taking operations is also a popular activity and visitors are encouraged. The Henrys Lake site also has two residences on station for the Henrys Lake personnel. The water for the fish ladder as well as the incubation room is provided by gravity flow from Hatchery creek. The facility has been operated for many years, first as a private hatchery and then as a state facility. The Henrys Lake facility has been operated by the state for almost 90 years.

Visitors
Visitors to the Henrys Lake facility are welcome. We consider public education a vital part of our job function. The best times to see fish are the months of March and April, when the fish are returning to the fish ladder. We have a public area for fishing during the open season (Memorial weekend to the end of November). There is a public restroom and an interpretive center on site. After the spawning season, we do not have fish on station, but the public is still welcome to fish or picnic.

Tours of the facility are gladly given during the spawning season. Please call ahead if large groups are planned, and the employees will be happy to set up a personal tour of the facility.

Species Production
Egg production goals currently are to take approximately 3 million green Yellowstone cutthroat eggs and approximately 800,000 green hybrid eggs to yield 1.7 million eyed Yellowstone cutthroat eggs and 350,000 eyed hybrid eggs for shipment to the Mackay hatchery, which is our rearing facility. Using Henrys Lake cutthroat females and fertilizing the eggs with Rainbow milt from our Hayspur facility produces the hybrid eggs. The newly fertilized hybrid eggs are then pressure shocked to produce sterile fish. Sterile hybrids are planted in Henrys to prevent dilution of the Yellowstone cutthroat genetics.

In the fall, the Mackay facility releases 1.3 million Yellowstone cutthroat fingerlings and 200,000 sterile hybrid fingerlings back into Henrys Lake. The Ashton facility raises and releases an additional 100,000 sterile brook trout. Virtually all the production of the Henrys facility is returned back to Henrys Lake. Occasionally a small number of eggs are used for other projects such as reestablishing Yellowstone cutthroat in other waters.

The Henrys Lake personnel are also responsible for maintaining and monitoring electric fencing that surrounds several of the riparian areas around the lake. The fencing has improved the spawning habitat of the natural reproducing fish in the lake. The fencing is provided with the cooperation of several land owners surrounding Henrys Lake.

Additionally, the Henrys Lake staff monitors production in the lake with intensive creel surveys and conducts fry trapping in the tributaries to monitor natural reproduction. Maintaining and monitoring fish screens that prevent fish from being displaced to irrigation ditches are also part of the personnel responsibilities.