| COOLWATER
HATCHERIES
TABLE
ROCK HATCHERY (Burke County)
 Located
in the North Carolina foothills 10 miles north of Morganton, Table Rock
State Fish Hatchery is a coolwater hatchery consisting of 17 ponds covering
9.25 acres of water, a flowing water flume line for holding trout, and
indoor hatching and rearing facilities. In winter months, water temperatures
at Table Rock are not as cold as water temperatures at our mountain trout
hatcheries - thus the distinction between coolwater and coldwater hatcheries.
The hatchery's water supply from Irish Creek provides suitable water quality
for raising a wide variety of fish species - from channel catfish to trout.
Table Rock is used primarily for raising fingerling smallmouth bass, walleye
and muskellunge to be stocked into public lakes and rivers of western
North Carolina.
History
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission built the Table Rock
Hatchery in 1946.
Hatchery
Operations
In early spring, Table Rock is used as a distribution center for stocking
catchable trout in the northwestern counties of the state. Up to 60,000
brook, brown and rainbow trout are held at Table Rock during the winter
for final grow-out before stocking in public trout waters in early March.
Trout stocking at Table Rock is completed by May, when water temperatures
become too warm to sustain trout. Walleye from a captive broodstock are
spawned at the hatchery in late March and moved to grow-out ponds in April.
They are released in receiving waters in May as two- to three-inch "fingerlings."
Smallmouth bass spawn at the hatchery in April and are grown until June
when they are two inches in length. Muskellunge also spawn in April and
are grown throughout the summer and stocked as juveniles in October. The
average stocking size for muskie is 12 inches or larger. Large amounts
of forage fish, mostly fathead minnows and goldfish, are raised at Table
Rock to feed muskellunge fingerlings and bass and walleye broodstock.
During summer months, Table Rock also participates in stocking channel
catfish for the Community Fishing Program.
Additional
Information
Table Rock has participated in research programs designed to evaluate
techniques for spawning walleye and marking the hatchery-produced fingerlings.
These techniques are critical for field evaluations of the success of
stocking programs. The public is welcome to tour the hatchery on weekdays
or use the picnic grounds any day during normal working hours, 8a.m. -
4p.m., on weekdays. Free tours for groups can be arranged by calling ahead
and scheduling with hatchery personnel. For more information, write to
Table Rock State Fish Hatchery, 3419 - Fish Hatchery Ave., Morganton,
N.C. 28655 or call (828) 437-3977.
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