Corry State Fish Hatchery: Pennsylvania's Pioneer Trout Hatchery

Just west of Corry sits one of Pennsylvania's quiet triumphs of conservation. The Corry State Fish Hatchery was established in the nineteenth century by the Pennsylvania Fish Commission, earning the name the Western Hatchery, and it has operated continuously ever since, making it one of the oldest fish hatcheries in the Commonwealth. Its secret is geography: abundant cold springs of remarkably uniform flow and temperature feed the facility year-round, ideal conditions for raising brook and rainbow trout.

The hatchery helped transform Pennsylvania into one of the leading sport-fishing states in the nation, creating jobs tied to outdoor recreation and demonstrating that government investment in natural resources could pay broad economic dividends. More than a century and a half later, its spring-fed raceways are still stocking streams across northwestern Pennsylvania.