 | | Crisp, clear explanations convey the story of the destruction of the U.P.’s fish habitat, largely through logging, and the use of hatcheries as one tool to restore fish populations. | Crisp, clear explanations inside the hatchery building convey the onetime destruction of Upper Peninsula fish habitat, mostly because of logging and sawdust slowing and pollutind streams.
Here trout and salmon are "reared"— not just hatched, but fed and grown until they're big enough to be stocked in lakes and streams. That's 6 to 9 inches for trout and 3 1/2 to 4 inches for salmon. Visitors can see the indoor incubation room and tanks and the 12 outdoor raceways. Each holds about 85,000 trout or salmon.
A special attraction is the show pond or trophy pond at the end the raceways. Some very large, mature trout can be seen—up close if you bring bread or, better yet, grasshoppers to feed them. Some of these trout are, and over 10 pounds. These brown trout, lake trout, and rainbow trout were ones that somehow escaped getting into the fish pump and being deployed elsewhere.
The necessary cold water comes from a 47° F spring and two 59° F deep wells.In spring and fall you might see fish being transferred to a truck (via a special fish pump; it reduces the stress of handling) that takes them to streams to be stocked. They go not only to Michigan streams but those in neighboring states.
Each year this modern hatchery, built in 1977, produces about 800,000 yearling trout (browns, steelhead, and rainbow), 600,000 chinook salmon for stocking, plus 10 to 15 million walleye fry released in lakes or taken elsewhere to be raised in rearing ponds.
From U.S. 2 at Thompson, about 8 miles west of Manistique, turn north onto M-149 at the blinker light. Hatchery is in 1.5 miles, on right. (906) 341-5587. Open daily 7:30-4, weekends and holidays 7:30-3:30. No charge. Handicap accessible.
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