Fish Hatchery Branson MO
Details, hours, info, reviews and discount tickets for visitors to the Fish Hatchery Branson MO visitor center. Located next to Table Rock Dam with over a million rainbow trout and brown trout produced per year making it a fun educational and free family vacation stop.
Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery
The Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery is a popular attraction with over a quarter of a million visitors! For nature lovers, this park and Missouri hatchery covers over 200 acres and includes a Conservation Center, lake-side activities such as trout fishing, four hiking trails, and more. It’s located next to Lake Taneycomo, the facilities offer tours that come highly recommended with amazing Tripadvisor reviews. A family or couple on a date can watch the trout production processes, including incubation, tank maintenance, raising and spawning ponds. Lastly our fish hatchery Branson MO site allows anyone on vacation to hand feed the hungry fish!
Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery Hours:
-
September - June: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
-
Memorial Day - Labor Day: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
-
Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day
-
Guided Tours: 10 am, 11 am, 1 pm, and 2 pm weekdays from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Branson Fish Hatchery
It’s the only Branson fish hatchery and it’s the Missouri Department of Conservation’s largest trout hatchery. It produces between 350,000 and 400,000 pounds of rainbow trout and brown trout each year. Almost 80% of production goes into Lake Taneycomo and it neighbors the Table Rock Lake Dam. On site at the Branson fish hatchery you’ll find a staffed visitor center with exhibits and displays and a 50 seat auditorium. Outside you can enjoy pavilion and picnic tables, a wildlife viewing tower, and a boat ramp with several fishing access points along Missouri’s Lake Taneycomo. Lastly, spend time hiking nearly 3 miles of hiking trails through the Ozark forest.
Lake Taneycomo
It’s one of the World's premier Trout fishing lakes. Lake Taneycomo (short for Taney County Missouri) fishing started when it was created in 1913 as a warm water lake and in 1958 became a cold water lake when the Table Rock Dam was completed. Today it services two types of trout for fishermen.
Brown Trout: Also called German Brown is a native of Europe and can reach a size of 37 inches and 26 pounds.
Rainbow Trout: It’s a coldwater fish that’s not native to Lake Taneycomo in Missouri, but this “king of sport fish” maintained by stocking into suitable waters is certainly appreciated by anglers.