- Severe flooding damaged five of Arizona’s six state fish hatcheries.
- Tonto Creek Hatchery suffered damaged buildings and washed-out roads.
- Water levels at Tonto Creek rose 12 feet in less than a day.
- Thousands of fish remain safe, and fish stocking has not been affected.
- Three hatcheries are closed to the public or have restricted access.
Wednesday, November 4, 2026 — Heavy rain and flooding over the weekend of October 31 and November 1 damaged five state fish hatcheries across Arizona, leaving roads washed out, buildings flooded and several facilities closed to visitors.
The worst damage occurred at Tonto Creek Hatchery, northeast of Payson, where rushing floodwaters struck a feed storage room and staff bunkhouse. Roads surrounding the hatchery were also washed out.
According to a November 2 announcement from the Arizona Game and Fish Department
, the area received more than two inches of rain over the weekend.
Measurements from the United States Geological Survey showed that water levels on Tonto Creek near Roosevelt Lake climbed from four feet late Saturday night to 16 feet Sunday afternoon.
That was a 12-foot rise in less than a day.
“Tonto Creek Hatchery was hit hard by floodwaters,” said Wayne Jones, the department’s Statewide Hatchery Program Administrator.
“Our team used sand and salt bags to try to manage the rushing waters, but they couldn’t prevent damage to roads and buildings. The hatchery is closed to the public.”
Thousands of Fish Escape Damage.
Despite the destruction around Tonto Creek Hatchery, there was some encouraging news.
The concrete channels, known as raceways, where thousands of fish are raised remained intact as of November 2.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department also reported that the flooding had not affected its fish stocking operations.
Fish stocking is the process of raising fish at hatcheries and releasing them into lakes, rivers and other waters for recreational fishing.
Arizona’s six state hatcheries produce an average of approximately three million fish each year, weighing a combined 400,000 pounds.
Those fish are stocked at 118 locations statewide.
Four Other Hatcheries Affected.
Tonto Creek was not the only hatchery dealing with the weekend’s flooding.
Four additional facilities reported problems ranging from flooded buildings to power outages and unsafe access conditions.
Canyon Creek Hatchery: Floodwaters had not receded as of November 2, and the hatchery remained closed to the public.
Silver Creek Hatchery: Rising water spilled over the creek’s banks, forcing officials to close public access to Silver Creek.
Bubbling Ponds Hatchery: Floodwaters from Oak Creek reached the facility and flooded the building used to raise bass.
Sterling Springs Hatchery: The facility lost electrical power during the storms. Power had not been restored when the department issued its November 2 report.
The department did not provide estimates of repair costs or indicate when the affected facilities would reopen.
Staff Continue Monitoring Flood Conditions.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department reported that hatchery employees were continuing to monitor water levels and coordinate responses as conditions changed.
The department was also assessing damage to its facilities following the heavy rainfall.
For anglers, the most important news from the November 2 announcement was that fish stocking had not been disrupted, even though five hatcheries had experienced flooding-related problems.
For the hatchery system, however, assessing damaged roads, flooded buildings, and other storm impacts was still underway.
Image: Tonto Creek Fish Hatchery, via Arizona Game & Fish.
