The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) has released the 2026 public mountain trout waters stocking schedule and announced efforts to address impacts caused during a $50 million major renovation.
The Bobby N. Setzer State Fish Hatchery (Setzer) is empty of fish for the first time since NCWRC took ownership of it more than 40 years ago. Setzer will remain closed to production during the renovation. This hatchery supplied most of the trout to NCWRC’s trout stocking program. Staff have developed strategies to reduce impacts on trout anglers, including the recent purchase of a privately owned hatchery.
“To mitigate the reductions in agency production, we are purchasing some trout from the private sector to supplement our agency stocking,” said NCWRC Inland Fisheries Hatchery Production Supervisor David Deaton. “We have also purchased Glady Fork Fish Hatchery (Glady Fork) in Transylvania County, which will provide additional production and fish-holding capabilities and help offset the production reductions during the Setzer renovation. We have transferred all remaining fish from Setzer to Armstrong State Fish Hatchery and Glady Fork including broodstock and fish to be stocked this year.”
In addition, NCWRC has altered stocking frequency. The stocking season has been compressed to allow the bulk of trout to be stocked during the heart of the trout stocking season in spring (Hatchery Supported and Delayed Harvest) and fall (Delayed Harvest).
Demolition is scheduled to begin within the next couple of weeks. Once the renovation is completed, Setzer will boast state-of-the-art raceway systems with more efficient water use at the facility, including flood-resilient mechanisms, and new filtering systems to improve the water quality at both the facility and in surrounding waters. Raceways will be covered to reduce water temperatures for trout which will improve water quality in the facility and in the Davidson River.
Setzer has been in operation since the late 1950s and is the state’s largest trout hatchery. NCWRC believes a fully functioning hatchery will likely occur in late 2028, barring any unforeseen issues. This timeframe allows the necessary time for eggs to be hatched and fish to grow to stockable size.
NCWRC’s Public Mountain Trout Water Program (PMTW) stocks around 1 million trout annually. Trout fishing provides $1.38 billion in economic impact to North Carolina.
Visit ncwildlife.gov/setzer to follow our progress and learn more about this renovation project.