The Heenan Lake station is at about 7,000 ft elevation in the Sierra Nevada range. The egg collection station was opened in April 1939 on an experimental basis to collect Lahontan Cutthroat Trout eggs. This first year's take was added to that collected at the regular station at upper Blue Lake. In 1940, a small tenthouse was constructed for the station operator, and about 700,000 eggs were collected between April 17 and May 12. The station was closed in 1943 because of World War II manpower shortages. Operations were resumed after the war ended. The station is operated only during April and May and currently produces from 750,000 to 1,000,000 cutthroat trout eggs each year. The Nevada Fish and Game Commission also procures eggs here. Heenan Lake American River Hatchery main page