NAMPA, Idaho (CBS 2) — We took a trip out to the region’s main rainbow trout hatchery, located in Nampa.
The experts at the hatchery tell us that if you've ever caught a rainbow trout west of the Sawtooths, it's probably a Nampa fish.
The Idaho Fish and Game Nampa Fish Hatchery puts out roughly 700,000 rainbow trout each year.
They stock fish all throughout western Idaho from the Nevada border up to Canada.
Fish are raised in one of the 13 raceways for 10 months, or up to a year, before they're ready to be released.
Local rivers and lakes are stocked throughout most of the year but their biggest stocking months are late spring and summer.
"We really get going in March, our biggest stocking months are in May and June, and both of those months we'll release over 100,000 fish," said Bob Becker, Fish Hatchery Manager.
During their stocking peak months, the hatchery will go through 50-60 thousand pounds of feed.
The hatchery is completely funded through fish license sales, public tours of the facility are available throughout the week.
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