Come see how premier sport fish are bred and raised at Gaden Trout Hatchery!!
Gaden Trout Hatchery is situated on the picturesque banks of the Thredbo River near Jindabyne, and is one of Australia’s main centres for breeding and rearing cold water sport fish. Four species of fish are produced at Gaden: Atlantic salmon, brook trout, brown trout, and rainbow trout.
Guided tours of the hatchery are available at 10am and 2 pm daily starting at the Visitors Centre. During the tours, conducted by experienced hatchery staff, visitors will view the aquariums with the four species of fish, read the exhibits, watch a short 10 minute video outlining the hatchery’s purpose and operation, walk through the facility and visit the brood stock ponds while feeding the big fish that come to the surface. The duration of the tour is about an hour. Outside those guided tour times, a self guide option may be available. This allows visitors a quick introduction to the hatchery including a short video presentation, a walk through the Visitor Centre viewing the aquariums and exhibits and an option to feed 2 brood stock ponds.
Gaden Trout Hatchery is over 50 years old and is set in beautiful parkland with picnic facilities and coin operated barbeques. Please note fishing is not permitted within the hatchery grounds or picnic area, but is permitted at nearby Paddy’s Corner on the Thredbo River. Don’t forget if you are fishing, you are required to pay the recreational fishing fee, at nearby bait and tackle shops or online at www.licence.nsw.gov.au or phone 1300 369 365.
Click to download the information brochure.
ENQUIRIES:
Phone: (02) 6451 3400
Email: gaden.hatchery@industry.nsw.gov.au
Web: www.dpi.nsw.gov.au
Visitor Centre:
Open 10am to 4pm daily
(Closed ANZAC Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day).
Guided Tours are at 10am and 2pm daily.
Visitor Centre opening times and tours are subject to change due to operational requirements.
Gaden Trout Hatchery Address
Kosciuszko Rd (10 km from Jindabyne towards Perisher Valley)
Jindabyne NSW 2628
Admission Fee (per person):
$10.00 Adults
$7.00 Children
$7.00 Concession
$28.00 Family
$5.00 Self Guided
$5.00 Tour Group (based on 20 or more visitors)
Fish Feeding: $2.00 per bag (Fish food sales depends on visitor numbers)
Please call the Visitor Centre on 02 6451 3400 to book your guided tour.
Individuals, school and group visitors are welcome all year round
How to get there:
Gaden Trout Hatchery is an easy 5.5 hour drive from Sydney and just 2 hours away from Canberra. Take the Kosciuszko Road from Jindabyne to Perisher. The hatchery is located on the left side, clearly signposted and is approximately 10 kilometers from Jindabyne.
Access is only available via private transport or by booking the Jindabyne Taxi Service.
Parking:
Parking is directly outside the main building, approximately 15 metres from the entrance.
Disabled Access and Entry:
Currently, a cement path and wooden ramp (10% gradient) lead to the main entrance. There is a wheelchair accessible entry and all facilities are on the one level, or on the ground.
Bathroom:
There are public bathrooms in the car park and one that is designated for disabled and wheelchair access.
EDUCATIONAL VALUE IN VISITING GADEN TROUT HATCHERY
Knowledge
Most people who visit the hatchery, after seeing the “Gaden Trout Hatchery” sign on the highway are curious to find out what actually happens at the hatchery and what there is to offer. Many visitors are unaware of the difference between a hatchery and a fish farm and a quite surprised what they learn after a visit to Gaden.
When visitors leave after a guided tour, generally they are left feeling amazed, excited to learn how to fish and have a better knowledge on the 4 species of cold water sport fish we breed, why we breed them, why the hatchery exists and how it operates.
Tourism
The main existence for the hatchery is to breed and rear sporting fish for recreational fishing. Gaden Trout Hatchery plays an essential role in the trout fishery which is one of the most important summer tourism activities in the local region with a value of over $70million. Our trout are also distributed to the Dutton Trout Hatchery near Armidale and to streams and lakes throughout NSW.
The hatchery is funded by the NSW Recreational Freshwater Fishing Trusts, meaning that every recreational fishing licence purchased in NSW helps to fund hatchery.
Gaden Trout Hatchery is the perfect venue to receive an informative introduction to the sport of fishing. The fish that the hatchery breeds and rear are not native to Australia and were brought out from the United States, Canada, England and the Arctic Circle for recreational fishing only.
Nature
The hatchery receives its water supply via a 60cm x 800m pipeline, gravity fed directly from the Thredbo River. All the ponds have their very own inlet and drain, so the ponds are not interlinked. The water is then discharged directly back to the river.
The hatchery cannot control water temperatures, due to its water supply coming direct from the Thredbo River. By maintaining the cleanliness of the ponds, not over-crowding the fish and not over-feeding them, especially on warmer days, the hatchery can limit some of the stress on the fish and assist with their survival. The water temperature during the peak of summer, can reach close to 27 degrees, so without constant vigilance, the survival rate would be a lot lower. Trout can generally survive well in water temperature between 10 – 20 degrees.