Fillmore Fish Hatchery

Loved this place as a kid, and its still amazing as an adult. Took my two kids (2 ½ and 3 years old) and they had a blast!
Now the reason for four stars, instead of five.
The workers didn’t really seem too happy to see us there. I noticed they were rolling trucks in and out, maybe doing some kind of repairs or maintenance? I asked an employee about maybe letting my kids see the baby trout, but that was a non starter.
The fish didn’t look very healthy at all. (Maybe I’m just noticing as an adult, and avid fishkeeper)
I’m an idiot and forgot to bring dimes. Still able to find a couple in the car.
This place is still beautiful however. Especially at the outflow at the back fence. There was a solid 2 and a half foot trout chasing ducks around, and my kids thought it was the funniest thing ever. I absolutely recommend stopping by if you’re in the area. Its free, and you won’t regret it.

You know…
I’ve never understood the whole «group», «clique» or «posse» mentality some people have.
I have a hard time wrapping my brain around the concept. Why share the spotlight with a group when you can shine on your own and be your own damn person?
BUT… over time I’ve realized that there are just some people who can’t function without a group. They NEED a clique. They NEED a posse. Roll dawgs MUST be present. The dependence is REAL. And it’s more than likely due to insecurities. If your group loves you, you may LOOK like a 3, but they’ll make you FEEL like a 10. The weaknesses, faults and frailties of the individuals in the group get covered, all hiding beneath the group’s ego. What a safe place to hide, huh? You don’t have to think for yourself, and you’ll always have someone rooting you on, firmly in your corner, even though you may be wrong or look stupid. TOGETHER you can be Superman or Superwoman. I get it.
But I’ve always prided myself on being a ONE woman wolf pack. My own team. My own cheerleader. A trendsetter, if you will. I like leading the way and no one telling me what to do. You want to know what’s hot? Hey… let me show you. My purpose in this life is to be inspirational to others, and trust me… it has been both a blessing and a curse. But as I’ve learned, imitation is the HIGHEST form of flattery, so I welcome those who mimic me. Who like the things that I like. Who hang with the people I hang with. Who hate to love me, and love to hate me. Follow in my foosteps…
And follow me here.
To this place. Fillmore Fish Hatchery. For practically no money, you get to feed the fish and be out in nature. This shit is so peaceful and serene. Just ducks, fish, water, sky and PLENTY of time think. You can come here with kids. You can come here with a significant other. You can also be like me and come here by yourself (but I did bring friends once. Haha). Just make sure you load up on a few dimes to get several rounds of fish food to feed the fish. Don’t just show ONE fish love. You gotta show ALL the fish love. Feed ALL the fish, Unilocal. (–Message!!!)
Roll here solo.
Be your own wolf pack.
Give back to nature.
Inspire.

This was the last stop on the drive home from an adventurous weekend with Schoolteacher. I had remembered this place was there, and decided to stop in and check out the assorted sized trout. We got out of the car, and walked the short distance to the rows of hatcheries.
We had read the reviews, and had made an effort to acquire dimes for the food machines. I had two dimes, and no cup. Next time, we’ll remember the cup. Two dimes got us plenty of food, but no cup meant we had to do our best to catch it in our hands as it poured out of the machine.
We carried the food back to the edge of the waters, and began to throw pinches of food into the waters. As if they’d never eaten in their lives, the fish began to get agitated as they roiled and splashed about, obviously very eager to eat. We walked the length of the waters, watching as fish got larger and larger the further down we walked. Young and small fish at one end became larger and older fish at the other. At the end with the adult fish, there is a fence with a duck pond who are also ever hungry and completely willing to eat fish food.
About ten minutes after we arrived, we were out of food, and out of dimes. We washed the fish food stench from our hands inside the nearby impeccably clean bathrooms, and then got back in the car. Once again, refreshed and eager to make the final leg of the trip back to Santa Clarita.
This place is really neat. Completely free to enter, and it only costs you as many dimes as you want to spend to feed the ever hungry fish. I’m glad it’s here, and I’m fairly sure I’ll be back… with a cup.
For More Information:

I have a lot of fond memories of the Fillmore Fish Hatchery. My mom and I used to take weekend trips to Ventura and would drive by on Highway 126 every time. We would always make a stop and check out all the little trout being raised. With several troughs thousands of feet long there is no shortage of fish to see. Fish of all different ages and sizes. It looks as if you could just reach in and grab them though I am certain that would be frowned upon. What you can do is put a quarter in the food machine and feed the trout. Throw a handfull of those pellets into the troughs and watch the frenzy. It is exciting as a kid when the fish start jumping out of their element. Having been there as an adult in recent weeks, I can say honestly it is just as much fun now as it was when I was a kid.
Besides the fish in the hatchery you can sometimes find some escaped trout just on the outside in the outflow stream. There are often large trout swimming into the current getting even larger and stronger. They have to be to escape the beaks of some nearby herring waiting to dive into the water for a bite. You may even see some ducks and duck eggs in the water as I did.
I still enjoy coming to the Fillmore Fish Hatchery but it has lost a bit of its magic over the years. The access road from Highway 126 to the hatchery is very worn and rough. The parking lot is not any better. Worst of all, the fish seem like damaged goods. There were several dead fish at the bottom of the troughs. There were even more with injured or missing fins. They are in a sad state. Maybe these are things I am just now noticing as an adult.

The Fillmore Fish Hatchery is such a wonderful stop for me. I have been stopping here for over 20 years. Every time I am amused by the fish and ever so simple facility. When you turn off from Highway 126 (it is just a mile or two east of Fillmore proper) you turn south on Fish Hatchery Road and shortly come upon a big cage with long concrete troughs for the fish. Walk in the gate and tour the fish in various sizes and enjoy the wonder of life. The big cage — like an oversize batting cage — keeps out the egrets, herons and hawks. The fish are amusing, and now for the rest of the show. Walk to the down stream end of the enclosure and look through the fence. I always spot huge trout that have slipped down stream as little ones and grown into monsters. They seem to live on the food that comes downstream. Now for the big treat. Watch in the trees and bushes and I have often found herons and egrets sitting oh so close to the end of the enclosure. They are feeding on whatever might come downstream for the hatchery and make for a wonderful wildlife encounter. Bring the kids and enjoy this free attraction, this is for me anyway, such a worth while stop.

In 1871, trout propagation began in California on the San Leandro River near San Francisco. While the methods, philosophy, husbandry, and conservation efforts have changed over time, the basic concept has remained the same– grow out trout To sustain planting efforts for anglers.
The Fillmore hatchery supports the put-​and-​take trout fishery for many surrounding waters. These efforts indirectly affect other environmental factors– on one hand, the largemouth bass and striped bass fisheries at Castaic for example are sustained by the input of trout into those waters. In other areas around California, however, the introduction of Trout has been orchid to unbalance other populations of various taxa.
Regardless of your environmental beliefs or politics, the Fillmore hatchery is a cool stop along the highway, particularly if you have kids in the car. While there is no cost for admission, taking a few times along to purchase fish food is a must. The small fingerling trout start at one end of the facility, and as they grow, they get moved down the line. Once they are of a keeper size, they are placed into the truck and «graduated» to lakes and other waters around the area. There is a certain comedy to watch and all of the hungry waiting birds outside of the gigantic mesh enclosure. Just west of the facility, the downstream area adjacent to the fence is a bird sanctuary… There are many species of waterfowl and wading birds.
After stopping here with my son on our way home from a fishing trip in Santa Barbara, I had a couple of people come up and start asking me questions… I answered them to the best of my ability, but only after I got back to my truck did I realize they probably thought I was an employee as I was wearing my Department of Fish and Wildlife hat. All in a days work…

I grew up going to the fish hatchery and now I bring my boys here once a month. It’s fun, easy, and costs less than a dollar to keep three boys entertained for awhile!
Make sure to bring dimes and cups for the fish food! It can make your hands smelly.

Good for a short day trip especially for young kids. I didn’t realize that feeding the fish can be relaxing. Cost you a dime for a handful of feed. Entrance is free with ample parking. There’s a picnic table and restroom nearby. Good place to go if you want to try something different.

Loved this place. Took my two boys here because we were looking for something to do and were tired of doing the usual thing.
This was the best activity we could have asked for on a number of fronts. First, the kids loved it. From the moment we entered the place, they were giddy, running around, and just plain enjoying themselves. Second, it’s free! In SoCal, it seems that every entertainment option involves dishing out cabbage. We spent about 90 minutes here and it cost $ 2 for food. Make sure you bring plastic cups and dimes to get the fish food. Third, the drive in is gorgeous. Fillmore is off the beaten path, but driving through the mountains was so enjoyable. The views were breathtaking.
Couple of notes:
Bring hand wipes if you plan to feed the fish — the pellets are oily
The tanks are very long — if you have someone in your group that has trouble walking, consider bringing a lawn chair for them to relax in.
There are public washrooms there, but exactly what you would expect from a public washroom…
When leaving the hatchery, taking a left back on to 126 can be very difficult. Consider taking a right and turning elsewhere.
They feed the fish in the morning — go early if you want to see the feeding frenzy.

A fun quick little stop for the kids.

What a neat little place! Feeding the fish is a ton of fun. This is the only time I have ever seen a vending machine that takes dimes. Bring a cup and plenty of dimes.
The place can be hard to find, especially if you are heading west on Hwy 126. There are no signs to guide you and they do not have a numerical address. Enter Fish Hatchery Rd into google maps or your navigation.

The directions and address on their website aren’t too helpful (they give a P.O. box!), but if you’re heading out from Santa Clarita, take 126 in the direction of Ventura, and you’ll be turning left onto Hatchery Road. There is a sign before-​hand to get you ready to turn. It’s between the towns of Piru and Fillmore, so when you pass Piru (don’t blink or you’ll miss it!), keep a watch out for the sign, and if you make it to Fillmore, you’ve gone too far. Fish food is still (June 2012) only a dime, but if you’re going with kids, they’ll want tons of fish food, so bring a lot of dimes. (My 2 kids used about 15 dimes each.) The food is in little pellets, not flakes. You’ll also need a cup or baggie to hold the pellets, although many people leave their cups when they’re done. The fish food is available at a couple of self-​service vending machines similar to the ones that have little toys, where you put your coin in and turn the crank. We spent an hour there, from about 2:30 — 3:30 on a Saturday afternoon, with a 10-​year old and a 7-​year old, and they were happy as clams. It wasn’t crowded at all, and there’s plenty of room to feel like you can relax a bit and not «hover» over your child worrying about kidnappers or whatever. There are restrooms and a drinking fountain there, but they’re a bit nasty.
We stopped at Pancho’s Place on Center Street in Piru for some Mexican food for lunch before heading over to the fish hatchery. It was about 5 minutes from Pancho’s to the fish hatchery.

I love it here. They are open from 7:00am to 3:30 pm. Bring cups and dimes if you would like to feed the fish as there are little vending machines. Bring hand sanitizer.

5 stars for kids.
It’s a pleasant diversion if you are driving by on the 126, and a nice drive thru Grimes Canyon if you are coming up over the hill from Moorpark.
This is basically where they raise the Rainbow Trout they stock the various lakes around LA with, so fishermen (and fisherwomen) can catch them.
It’s a series of long rectangular tanks, they start the baby fish at one end, and every couple of weeks, they remove the oldest fish in a truck and move each remaining fish down one tank until they «graduate» to the big white truck and a local lake.
For further details rent «The Lion King» and pay close to the Circle of Life.
There is also a small adjacent bird sanctuary (see my pics). Normally, the only place you see an egret is in a crossword puzzle, but there were a few just outside the fenced in area.
If you are going, bring a few dimes and an old paper cup. You can buy handfuls of fish food from vending machines. If you have kids, bring A LOT of dimes Otherwise there is no charge. You may want to bring a paper cup or baggie for the little ones to hold the fish food.
If you are going it is a little east of Fillmore on Route 126. Look for the signs for Fish Hatchery Road.