Bay Delta Classroom Aquarium Education Program

Overview

Region 3 serves the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Sacramento,* San Francisco, San Joaquin,* San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, and Yolo.*

*Region 3 serves portions of Sacramento, San Joaquin and Yolo counties that are south of I-80 and west of I-5. The balance of those counties are in Region 2.

The Classroom Aquarium Education Program (CAEP - also known as Trout-in the Classroom and Steelhead in the Classroom) is a community-based program which allows students to experience first hand the delicate balance needed for animals to survive in aquatic ecosystems. Using eggs provided by a hatchery, classes set-up and maintain an aquarium for the purpose of observing the development of fish from the eyed-egg stage until they become young fry.

Classrooms in CDFW’s Bay Delta Region (Region 3) hatch rainbow or Steelhead trout eggs and raise them to young fry, before releasing them in local approved waters. This program is run cooperatively by local schools, fishing clubs and government agencies.

Program Objectives

Provide a positive learning program for classrooms on the value of aquatic ecosystems through the hatching and release of trout.
Help students learn about their local watershed and how human activities affect the quality of water in local streams, lakes and the bay.
Provide support to teachers to enable them to participate in this learning experience.
Fulfill the goals and objectives of each partner.

Successful completion of an approved training program is required to participate in this program.

To learn more about Classroom Aquarium Education Program, visit the statewide webpage.

Keep reading to learn more about CAEP in Region 3.

Get Involved!

New Teachers

Due to staffing changes Region 3 CAEP will not be accepting new teachers for the 25/26 school year. This decision was not made lightly, and we apologize for any potential new teachers who were looking forward to participating this year.

Teachers who are interested in carrying out CAEP, but are unable to join this year are invited to sign up for the new teacher waitlist

Region 3 CAEP New Teacher Waitlist

When space is available, waitlisted teachers will be contacted by their region’s sponsor to determine eligibility. If you have any questions regarding your status in participating in this year's programs, please contact your sponsor. See a list of sponsors on the Partners page.

Returning Teachers

At the beginning of each season, please get in touch with your sponsor to ensure your participation is on their radar.
You must apply each year by submitting a CAEP Application to Receive, Transport, and Rear Eggs and Fish (CDFW Form 772)
- Application deadlines and the link to apply can be found by scrolling to the "Important Dates" section of this page.

Returning teachers are required to re-take the New Teacher Workshop and be re-certified before applying for eggs if:

You are entering the program from a different CDFW Region. Since CAEP varies regionally, teachers must retrain in Region 3 to be eligible for the program.
You've been out of the program for more than 3 years, and want to be eligible to apply for eggs this school year.
You've been notified by your CAEP Coordinator that you have been decertified for any reason.

See details regarding recertification requirements on the CAEP: Forms and Guidelines page.

Updates for the 2026-2027 School Year

Due to staffing changes during the 2025/2026 school year, Region 3 CAEP returning teachers were able to apply by the set December 15 deadline each year. Region 3 CAEP also accepted new teachers from the waitlist that was previously posted here for the 2025/2026 school year. Teachers were chosen due to when they waitlisted, sponsor/partner availability to accept new teachers, and due to need (Title 1 Status and disadvantaged schools/students). Teachers who remain on that waitlist will be reached out to for the 2026/2027 school year.

If you are a new teacher who has yet to sign up on our waitlist, please sign up on the CAEP Region 3 Waitlist for the 2026-2027 school year. We will reach out to sponsors to verify capacity to take on new teachers and pair teachers with sponsors.

Important Dates for the current 2026-2027 School Year

Teacher Certication Training Workshops

A Teacher Certification Training Workshop is a mandatory training for all new teachers and for returning teachers who have not participated in the program for the past 3 years or more. These free workshops must be completed before applying for eggs. Successful completion of any workshop will certify you to raise state-protected fish in your classroom.

Teacher Training Workshop Registration Links will be here at the beginning of the school year.

See details regarding recertification requirements on the CAEP: Forms and Guidelines page.

December 15: Annual Deadline to Apply for Eggs

The link to apply for eggs (772 request form) will be available here at the beginning of the school year.

To rear eggs in Spring 2027

Release Locations

The 2026-2027 approved waterbodies will be listed in this year’s CAEP application.

Upon receiving eggs, teachers will receive an authorization form with an assigned, approved waterbody for release. Fry must be released into the waterbody that is listed on your authorization form. See guidelines for more details.

Waterbodies are approved for CAEP releases by CDFW scientists. Approvals are reviewed annually, and the list of approved sites is subject to change based on environmental conditions.

Release Summary

An online release summary must be submitted within 2 weeks of releasing fry.

FAQ

I submitted my CAEP Application to Receive, Transport and Rear Eggs and Fish (CDFW Form 772), how can I check to see if it has been received/approved?

Great question! Upon submission of your application, you will receive an email confirming that your application has been received.

If there are any discrepancies with your application, our team will reach out to you and your coach. Please allow 1-3 weeks for application processing. Your coach will be provided with a list of all approved applications, so be sure to check with them regarding the status of your application.

Please email r3caep@wildlife.ca.gov if you have any questions.

I submitted my Fish Release Summary (CDFW Form 772), how do I find out if it was received?

Great question! You’ll receive an email confirmation after submitting your release summary. If our team has any questions, we will be sure to follow up.

I can’t remember who my sponsor is or if I even have one – what do I do?

I already took the training, do I need to do it again?

Teachers are always welcome to attend a training workshop as a refresher, however, this is not required. As long as you have hatched fish within the past 3 years and complied with all the terms of your permit (including returning it at the end of the season) you do not need to be retrained.

If it has been more than three years since you last participated, or you were certified in a different region and are now looking to receive eggs in Region 3, you must take a teacher training workshop again before you can receive eggs

What is the timeline for this program?

Check the R3 CAEP webpage in September each year for new application deadlines and teacher training workshops links.
Once your application has been accepted, start planning your field trip if you intend to have one. Many cities and lakes may require additional forms for schools planning to bring students beyond what CDFW can provide, so check early to see what you may need!
Eggs are typically provided in February and April each year. Exact delivery dates will be provided to your sponsor once we hear from our hatchery staff.
- Rainbow Trout eggs are tentatively scheduled for delivery the week immediately following the Presidents Holiday in February.
- Steelhead eggs are typically offered twice a year – once in early February and once in April.
Set up your aquarium a minimum of two weeks before receiving your trout eggs. This gives your trout the best chance at survival.
Fish must be released no later than 8 weeks after delivery. That said, we recommend releasing after 4-5 weeks.
Once you release your trout you have two weeks to submit your release summary.
- If your eggs/trout die before release, teachers must submit the release summary form within two weeks of the last trout dying.

How do I know which species of fish I will be receiving?

We are fortunate in the Bay Area to be able to provide steelhead and rainbow trout eggs to schools, depending on where the school is located. It is important to remember that all teachers in the Bay Area hatch trout – steelhead are anadromous and go the ocean while rainbow are the same fish but remain in lakes.

Teachers in the Russian River watershed receive a strain of locally spawned steelhead that can be released into local streams (but NOT lakes).

Teachers in most of the Bay Area, including Santa Cruz and Santa Clara, receive a common strain of rainbow trout that can be released into most (but not all) lakes. These fish CANNOT be released into local streams.

All fish much be released in accordance with your CAEP Application to Receive, Transport and Rear Eggs and Fish (CDFW Form 772) – there are no exceptions. 

I have a co-worker who wants to be in the program / I’ve worked with another teacher who did this program – what should I do?

Great! All teachers who wish to participate must have their own certification in order to receive eggs as well as to transfer any fish. Certifications are not transferrable.

Please email us at r3caep@wildlife.ca.gov and we’ll you through the next steps.

Contact

Region 3 CAEP team
R3caep@wildlife.ca.gov