Located at 144 Bungay Road, the North Attleborough National Fish Hatchery is part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which has been engaged in fisheries and aquatic resource conservation for more than 130 years. The North Attleborough hatchery was established in 1950 to rear fish for the New England states. The 235-acre site has the capability of producing warm, cool, and cold-water fish species.
The North Attleborough hatchery originally provided large-mouth bass for stocking all over New England. Later, in the late 1950s, a cold water facility was constructed and catchable rainbow, brown, and brook trout were provided for stocking in federal and state-managed streams. In 1985 Atlantic salmon production began and continues today. Then, in 1996, the hatchery became involved in the Charles River American Shad Restoration Program.
In 2010 the facility began work with a landscape designer to add a native plant garden to the site. This promises to be both educational and enjoyable for the 10,000 people who visit the hatchery each year.