In the 1950’s, several smaller and older fish hatcheries, operated by the California Department of Fish and Game, were closed and hatchery operations moved to larger, more efficient operations. The Basin Creek (Tuolumne), Yosemite, Bass Lake (Madera), Kings River and Visalia hatcheries were closed and replaced by the new San Joaquin Hatchery (on the San Joaquin River) and the Moccasin Creek Hatchery.
Kings River Hatchery 1928 - 1954
Kings River was successfully operated until 1954, stocking fish into the upper San Joaquin and Kings Rivers, and in High Sierra lakes.
Madera Hatchery 1930 - 1952
Constructed to provide fish for Madera County anglers, the hatchery was abandoned by the state during World War II.
Sequoia Hatchery 1940 - 1960
Located near Visalia, this hatchery had ten round redwood tanks and one 8’x200’ pond. Sequoia Hatchery produced approximately 200,000 catchable fish a year; operations were discontinued when the larger and modern Moccasin Creek Hatchery was constructed.
The Moccasin Creek Hatchery is located on property leased from the City of San Francisco. Water is supplied by the afterbay of the Moccasin Creek Powerhouse Reservoir, which is part of the Hetch Hetchy water and power system for San Francisco Public Utility District.
In 1954, the Moccasin Creek hatchery opened with 24 dirt ponds. Over the years, the hatchery has expanded to include 48 concrete ponds, each 100 feet long. The hatchery building originally consisted of 88 troughs and 6 redwood round tanks. In 2011, 10 deep tanks replaced 20 troughs and in 2012, the redwood round tanks were replaced by 6 deep fiber-glass round tanks.
