News and Special Events
Visit the San Joaquin Hatchery
School group or public tours (larger groups are encouraged to schedule a tour):
- Please allow 2-4 days for a reply to schedule your tour.
Self-guided Tour:
- Brochures available in the Hatchery Office or can be printed from the San Joaquin Hatchery website.
Location: 17372 Brook Trout Drive, Friant, CA 93626
Classroom Aquarium Education Program* accepting applications for 2026-27 school year
*Known regionally as Trout in the Classroom, Salmonids in the Classroom, and Steelhead in the Classroom
Fall 2026 Upcoming Special Events
- Fishing in the City Event (to be announced)
- Build a Ladybug House (to be announced)
Fall 2026 Volunteer Opportunity: Volunteer Along the FINS Trail!
- Join us as we plant native plants and pollinators.
- Help with ground preparation, invasive species removal, irrigation, and maintenance of the educational play structures.
- Training is available for leading public tours.
Contact
Victoria.Knight@wildlife.ca.gov, (559) 696-8092.
Visit
Family feeding and watching fish at the San Joaquin Hatchery.
Picnic grounds on site at native vegetation gardens.
Location: 17372 Brook Trout Drive, Friant, CA 93626
Hours:
- Grounds and restrooms: open daily, 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- FINS parking lot, trails, open spaces: open daily, sunrise to sunset
Contact: (559) 822-2374, sanjoaquin@wildlife.ca.gov
Mail: PO Box 247, Friant, CA 93626
Directions/Parking:
- Located 1 mile below Lake Millerton Dam, about 12 miles north of Fresno. MAP
- Upper parking lot: Open sunrise to sunset. East of Highway 41 in Friant. From Friant Road, turn west onto Parker Ave. Vehicle must be removed before Sunset. No Over night Parking.
- Lower parking lot: Open 7:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Additional parking and ADA parking to access the hatchery grounds is available. East of Highway 41 at Friant. From Friant road, turn west onto Flemming Road and follow the road to the small lower parking lot. Vehicles must be removed from the lower parking area by 3:00 p.m. daily.
Downloads:
Nearby
- Friant Interactive Nature Site
San Joaquin Hatchery is part of Friant Interactive Nature Site (FINS). After visiting the hatchery stay and explore the rest of the site, which includes: The San Joaquin River Parkway Trail, The Small Fry Children's Discovery Trail, picnic areas and outdoor classroom; view the California native vegetation gardens, behold San Joaquin River watershed tile mosaic and be on the lookout for wildlife flying overhead while on site. At FINS not only can you see salmonid life stages up close and feed the growing fish, you can enjoy nature by taking a stroll or picnicking along the trials. Kids can learn through play experiencing the life of a trout in themed play areas imaging they are a fish finding prey and hiding from predators in natural habitats. The 59 acres of state property is about a 15-minute drive from Fresno.
- Coming soon: Salmon Conservation and Research Facility
Construction of the facility is resuming on May 31, 2022, and is estimated to be completed by June 2023. Completing construction of this facility will allow reopening of the San Joaquin River Parkway Trail connecting to Fresno County Lost Lake Recreation Area and access to the San Joaquin River. For public safety, a portion of the San Joaquin River Parkway Trail is currently closed due to construction of the new facility.
More about this Facility