Bear Creek Hatchery is located in the mountains of Garrett County in Accident, Maryland. This facility was originally constructed in 1928 and currently cultures approximately 80,000 adult golden trout and rainbow trout for Maryland’s spring “Put and Take” stocking program. Bear Creek Hatchery is also responsible for culturing and stocking 3,000 adult trout for the Youth Fishing Rodeo program in Allegany and Garrett counties. Bear Creek Hatchery annually receives all of its fingerling production trout from Albert Powell Hatchery, which is located in Hagerstown, Maryland. Bear Creek Hatchery is a stream fed facility and receives hatchery supply water from the main channel of Bear Creek itself. As with all stream fed hatcheries, Bear Creek Hatchery faces numerous challenges due to environmental variation throughout each annual growing season. These challenges include a wide water temperature range, fluctuating stream flow, inconsistent water quality parameters, and evolving environmental changes.

The hatchery uses gravity fed surface water. Water is drawn directly from Bear Creek and flows through the hatchery.

The original raceways were constructed out of a dry river bed in 1928. Concrete was later added to these raceways. As you can see, all water flows by gravity so no pumps are necessary.

These raceways were constructed in 1996 during a hatchery renovation and expansion.

This drum filter removes particulates from the surface water before it enters the hatchery. Water flowing out from the hatchery flows into a three-chambered settling pond

For more information concerning Bear Creek Hatchery, contact Mark Harman​ at 301-746-8148.

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