LITTLE CAMPBELL RIVER HATCHERY
It’s salmon spawning season!
Updated Nov 3, 2023
The latest breakdown is:
Coho — 1784
Chinook — 831
Pink - 13
Chum - 15
We are open to the public, and if the salmon are running our volunteers will be on hand to let you know what we do to increase the salmon population every year.
Image Gallery.
Watch A Chinook Salmon Fry Release
The Little Campbell Hatchery is the first all-volunteer hatchery in British Columbia. The facility was built in 1983 and continues to be maintained by members of the Semiahmoo Fish and Game Club. It is located on the banks of the Little Campbell River on a 30 acre site acquired by the SFGC in 1979.
Aside from the hatchery building, the complex includes outside rearing ponds for Coho salmon, Steelhead and Cutthroat trout. All water used in maintaining the fish stock is drawn from a deep well located on the west side of the property. Prior to entering the hatchery, the water is passed through an extensive filtration and aeration process in the two story building adjacent to the hatchery.
A steel fish fence has been installed across the river immediately in front of the hatchery. This fence funnels all spawning salmon and trout into a trap where club members count and identify them by species prior to releasing them to spawn up river. A number of wild Coho, Chinook salmon and Steelhead trout are retained as brooding stock. Over 3,500 spawning salmon are counted at the fence annually.
In a typical year, the hatchery produces the following number of salmonids:
•Steelhead: 10,000
•Chinook: 35,000
•Coho: 100,000
•Cutthroat: 15,000
The hatchery complex is open to the public. Access to the hatchery building itself is also possible, provided club volunteers are on site. Since it was built the hatchery is a very popular place to visit for a large number of residents from the White Rock, Surrey and Langley area.
On completion of the hatchery in 1983, the Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club introduced the “Salmon in the Classroom” program. Under this initiative fertilized Coho eggs from the hatchery are hatched and raised in the classroom by elementary students. Once the salmon reach the “fry” stage the students return them to the hatchery where they release them into the river. The visit includes instruction on the life cycle of the salmon, as well as a guided tour of the hatchery and the nature trail. Since the program was introduced over 90,000 students, teachers and parents from schools in Richmond, Delta, White Rock, Surrey and Langley have participated. Some teachers have included their pupils in the program for over 20 years. Countless children have described their visit to the hatchery as the “greatest day trip ever”. The majority of the tours take place in March and April.
Teachers looking to book a hatchery tour please fill out the below form and our tour organizer will contact you with more information and work with you to get everything setup.
If you are a teacher of a class that is included in the “Salmonids in the Classroom” program and wish to schedule a date/time for your class to return to tour the hatchery to release your salmon fry, please use the form below.