ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — The Armstrong State Fish Hatchery in McDowell County, a key part of North Carolina’s trout management program, was nearly destroyed when Tropical Storm Helene swept through Western North Carolina on Sept. 27, 2024.
“Thankfully, our amazing staff survived and are safe,” Hatchery Production Supervisor David Deaton said in a news release. “But there was major damage to the facility from flooding and landslides. Over 600,000 hatchery fish died, which severely impacted our trout production capabilities.”
The hatchery has remained closed while crews repair infrastructure and remove debris. Partial operations resumed in the spring to support delayed harvest and hatchery-supported waters, Deaton said. Armstrong is expected to be fully operational by November.
Repairs at Armstrong also affect renovations at the Bobby N. Setzer State Fish Hatchery, the state’s largest trout-producing facility. Setzer’s planned upgrades were delayed until Armstrong is fully functional. With Armstrong coming back online, Setzer renovations are scheduled to begin in January 2026.
In 2024, the N.C. General Assembly appropriated $20 million to match $19.5 million in agency funds for Setzer renovations to update aging infrastructure and protect against future flooding. The facility, originally the Pisgah National Fish Hatchery, has been operated by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission since 1983.
“Setzer has failing infrastructure that needs replacement before a potentially major failure,” Deaton said. “The project will take a couple of years to complete, and the hurricane delayed that project a year. But through our mountain waters program, we continue to manage both wild and stocked trout to provide a robust fishing experience for North Carolina.”
Trout fishing contributes an estimated $1.38 billion to the state’s economy.
