Deer Mountain Hatchery

The Deer Mountain Hatchery adjacent to City Park is one of the oldest hatcheries in Alaska, near the site of the Territorial Hatchery that operated from 1925 to 1931. The existing building was built in 1954 by the Chamber of Commerce with proceeds from the Ketchikan King Salmon Derby. The hatchery reared steelhead and rainbow trout along with Chinook and coho. In 1977, the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game took over operations. The Ketchikan Tribal Hatchery Corporation operated the hatchery from 1994 to 2013. In 2014, Southern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association was granted rights to operate the City—owned Hatchery. The intention is to return the facility to full Chinook production, releasing 100,000 Chinook yearling smolt in Ketchikan Creek and 400,000 yearling smolt in Carroll Inlet to support local troll fisheries. The total annual returns from these releases will range between 10,000 and 20,000 adult Chinook.

Modern image
Photographer: Cindy Walters
Pictured: Matthew Allen
On loan courtesy of Southern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, L2015.4.76.1

Historic image
First eggs arrive at the hatchery, 1955
Photographer: Paulu T. Saari
Pictured (left to right): Leo Thompson and Stan Swanson
Donor: Paulu T. Saari, KM 2003.2.63.2108