Idaho Fish and Game’s McCall Fish Hatchery will remain closed to the public throughout the summer due to ongoing improvements to the facility.
Crews have completed the construction of two holding ponds, which which are functional and scheduled to receive fish this summer. However, while McCall hatchery staff had initially planned to reopen on July 1 and install a temporary spawning area where staff would collect Chinook eggs, a decision was made to move forward with constructing permanent spawning area instead.
"In order to meet deadlines, construction crews will need to continue uninterrupted work through July and into early August," said Hatchery Complex Manager Bob Becker. "Once we are through the Chinook egg take, they will transition into installation of a roof structure covering the new holding ponds, which will further protect fish in holding from predators and environmental impacts."
The hatchery will reopen to the public upon completion of the additional facility improvements. McCall hatchery staff will announce a date to restore public access as construction winds down and timelines become more clear, but it is anticipated that reopening will occur sometime in the fall.
You can read more about the need for the new holding ponds at the McCall Hatchery here.
The McCall Fish Hatchery is located within the city limits of McCall, approximately a quarter-mile south of Highway 55 at 300 Mather Road. Constructed in 1979, it is the first Lower Snake River Compensation Plan hatchery built in Idaho, part of a federal mitigation program created to compensate for fish loss due to the construction of the four Lower Snake River dams. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game operates the hatchery with funding provided through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Lower Snake River Compensation Program.