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 Hidden Falls Hatchery is located on Baranof Island on Chatham Strait. This hatchery was built by the State of Alaska in 1978-79 and operated by the State until 1988 when operational responsibility was transferred to NSRAA.
Hidden Falls produces a larger chum return than any other facility in North America with returns averaging 2.6 million over the past decade (1994-2003), including a record return in 1996 of over 4 million fish. The run has attracted up to 240 seine boats during openings and provided fishermen with significantly greater fishing opportunity in the early portion of their seasons.
In recent years, coho and chinook returns have increased substantially as the result of a major hatchery expansion in 1987. Both coho and chinook are harvested primarily by trollers and seiners.
Coho returns have averaged 246,000 fish over the past five years (1999-2003), including a commercial harvest averaging 86,000 fish per year.
Trollers harvest Hidden Falls kings, with peak catches from late-May through early July. Seiners also harvest many chinook later in June and in early July as they target the chum salmon return. Chinook returns to Hidden Falls have averaged 28,000 fish over the past five years (1999-2003), with a troll catch averaging 6,600 fish and a seine catch averaging 8,800 fish for the period.
The combination of large chum, chinook and coho returns make this hatchery the most economically important program in Southeast.
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