Aptly nestled down by the Animas River, the Durango Fish Hatchery & Wildlife Museum is a great addition to the Durango community.
Durango Fish Hatchery History
Dating back to 1893, this is the oldest state-owned fish hatchery in Colorado. With growth and changes over the years, the newest expansion in 2026 brings an updated wildlife museum to the site. Our hatchery is a part of the Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW) who are dedicated to providing resources, sustainability, and opportunities for Colorado's great outdoors. The mission of the hatchery since the beginning has been to improve the fish population throughout the State of Colorado. Every year, they breed, hatch, rear, and stock over 90 million fish for angling endeavors and native species recovery from 19 hatcheries around the state. Just in Southwest Colorado, our hatchery produces 125,000 catchable rainbows and 1.3 million subcatchable fish every year.
Native breeds such as trout, bass, and pike are kept in reproduction as well as hybrid species such as the infamous fighting wiper for heightened fishing battles. There are both cold and warm watered species that are stocked across natural habitats via truck and plane!
Durango Fish Hatchery & Wildlife Museum
Located along the Animas River by the Main Street bridge, the Durango Fish Hatchery & Wildlife Museum campus offers guided and self-guided tours to learn more about our local ecosystem and the work done at the facility. Hatchery and Wildlife Museum self-guided tours are available to view fish & animal mounts, hands-on displays, and to feed the fish. Volunteer-guided, school, and large group tours are available with prior arrangements.
Fishing in Durango
Our great state includes over 6,000 miles of rivers, 1,000 natural lakes, and hundreds of streams making it the perfect destination for fishermen. Opportunity abounds whether fishing from shore or boat; river, lake, or stream; in-town or in the high country. There’s lots of easily accessible fishing spots as well as secret spots you have to work for access to!
The CPW requires a fishing license as well as regulations on catch and release sizes and location. It’s important to stay up to date of rules and dates as well as respect private waters. There are plenty of rural and easily accessible waters to fish and we hope you enjoy one of the many outdoor activities our area offers. For more Southwest Colorado fishing and living information, please don’t hesitate to contact The Durango Team at The Wells Group.
