Steelhead School Tours

Bring your class to the Lake Sonoma Visitor's Center and Warm Springs Hatchery!

    The Steelhead School Tour is a seasonal educational program for K–12 students that teaches about the 
steelhead trout’s life cycle and the role of the Warm Springs Fish Hatchery in preserving it within the Russian River Watershed. 

    During the spawning season, students tour the hatchery with guides from the US Army Corps of Engineers and Sonoma Water, following the journey of adult steelhead as they return upstream, climb the fish ladder, and are sorted for spawning. California Fish & Wildlife biologists then fertilize the eggs to help raise future generations of steelhead.  


For more information and to BOOK A TOUR, please visit lakesonomaeducation.org
Registration for these tours opens on September 2nd, 2026 

The spawning season lasts for approximately 16 weeks 
between January and late March.  

School Tours will be available:

  • Tuesday-Friday from January 6th to April 24th
  • Tuesdays-Thursday April 28th- June 4th

Spawning events occur on Thursdays throughout the season and are recommended for grades 4th and up.  

Only 1 school is permitted to book per day, and 2 classes are able to attend.
If you intend to have 3 classes or more than 60 students, 
please indicate this as a special request on the booking form.

Tours begin promptly at 10:00am at the Lake Sonoma Visitor's Center and last for approximately 90 minutes.





If you have questions regarding this tour, please contact Brianne Brawley at brianne.brawley@scwa.ca.gov

This FREE Program is provided thanks to support from these partners: