Hatcheries and rearing stations
Fishing Wisconsin
DNR's hatcheries, egg collection facilities, and rearing stations raise millions of fish to be stocked yearly in lakes and rivers where there is little or no natural reproduction. Hundreds of waters statewide get this help to provide more fishing opportunities for anglers.
Visit our hatcheries and other fish-rearing facilities
Tours at the hatcheries are often conducted by appointment for school groups, scouts, and other groups. For everyone's safety and the health of the fish, please keep your children under control at all times. Running alongside the raceways and throwing things into the water is prohibited. Your cooperation will ensure that everyone has a pleasant visit. Please remember to call ahead. Hatchery hours and season of operation are subject to change.
Spawning (egg-taking facilities)
Art Oehmcke || Les Voigt || Black River Falls || Brule || Gov. Thompson || Kettle Moraine || Lake Mills || Nevin || Osceola || St. Croix Falls || Wild Rose
Art Oehmcke Hatchery
- Species: Muskellunge, walleye and suckers.
- Operations: Hatching and rearing.
- Location: On County Highway J, 2 miles east of Woodruff, Oneida County.
- Restrooms at the DNR Fire Station are across the street.
- Picnic areas and campgrounds nearby in Northern Highlands-American Legion State Forest.
- Guided tours are available Monday through Friday at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily from the Tuesday after Memorial Day to the Friday before Labor Day.
- Telephone:(715) 356-5211, x215.
- Address: 8770 Highway J, Woodruff, WI 54568.
- Visitor center with a live fish display.
Les Voigt Hatchery
- Species: Brook, brown and lake trout, steelhead, splake; Coho and chinook salmon.
- Operations: Broodstock, hatching and rearing.
- Location: On Highway 13, between Washburn and Bayfield, Bayfield County.
- Visitor Center with live fish display.
- Restrooms at hatchery.
- Campgrounds nearby, Chequamegon National Forest.
- Hours: Open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Sunday, all year.
- Telephone: (715) 779-4021.
- Address: 83875 Hwy 13, Bayfield, WI 54814.
- Note: Group tours are available upon request.
- More Information on Les Voigt Hatchery.
Black River Falls Fish Propagation / Rearing Station
- Species: Muskellunge, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleyes.
- Operations: Primarily rearing and stocking; limited hatching facilities. This station produces all the large and smallmouth Bass for DNR stocking purposes in Wisconsin.
- Location: The office is located at the Black River Falls DNR Service Center, 910 Highway 54 East, Black River Falls, near the junction of Highway 54 and I-90/94.
- Hours: Temporarily closed to visitors—no tours at this time.
- Telephone: (715) 284-1447.
- Address: 910 Highway 54 East, Black River Falls, WI 54615.
- Note: No tours are regularly scheduled. Interested groups may inquire about a tour by calling (715) 284-1447. No fish are present on the premises. Rearing ponds are located in Jackson County and near Colby in Marathon County. They are in use from May through September.
Brule Rearing Station
- Species: Seeforellen strains of brown trout, with the occasional steelhead (rainbow trout) and coho salmon.
- Operations: Rearing.
- Location: On Hatchery Road off Highway 27, south of Brule, Douglas County.
- Visitor Center has informational hatchery games, brochures, handouts for children and adults, and an impressive fish and wildlife display.
- Restrooms at hatchery.
- Picnic area at the hatchery, Carry-In, Carry-Out: We invite you to enjoy a picnic on the hatchery grounds, but please plan to take out what you bring in.
- Hours: The rearing station grounds are open 8 a.m. – to 3 p.m. Monday through Sunday all year; Visitor Center hours are subject to change without notice.
- Tours: Guided tours are available Monday and Thursday at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Please gather the information and education sign. Guided tours for groups are available upon request by calling and scheduling an appointment. We will try to accommodate tour requests during weekday hours but will accommodate for occasional weekends. Self-guided tours are available during regular hours.
- Telephone: (715) 372-4820.
- Address: 13847 E. Hatchery Road, Brule, WI 54820.
- More Information on Brule Hatchery.
Governor Tommy G. Thompson Hatchery
- Species: Muskellunge, walleye, suckers, and occasionally northern pike.
- Operations: Hatching and rearing.
- Location: West side of Spooner on the south side of Highway 70, across from DNR Northern Regional Headquarters, Washburn County.
- Visitor Center with the live fish display open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays all year (Note: hours are subject to change without notice)
- Restrooms at hatchery.
- Picnic area nearby.
- Hours: The museum is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, with guided tours on Tuesdays and Fridays at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays from the Tuesday after Memorial Day to the Friday before Labor Day.
- Telephone: (715) 635-4147.
- Address: 951 W. Maple Street, Spooner, WI 54801.
- More Information on Governor Tommy G Thompson Hatchery.
Kettle Moraine Springs Hatchery
- ATTENTION: The hatchery is undergoing construction and will be closed to visitors until it is complete.
- Species: Chinook and coho salmon; Chambers Creek and Ganaraska strains of steelhead.
- Operations: Hatching and rearing.
- Location: Take Highway 28 north from Batavia, turn left (west) on Cherry Hill Road to Trout Spring Road, and turn right. Or take Highway 28 southwest from Cascade to County Highway S, continue on S to Trout Spring Road, and turn left, Sheboygan County.
- Restrooms at hatchery.
- Hours: Temporarily closed to visitors—no tours at this time.
- Telephone: (920) 528-8825.
- Address: N1929 Trout Spring Road, Adell, WI 53001.
- Note: Large tours by appointment only.
- More Information on Kettle Moraine Springs Hatchery.
Lake Mills Hatchery
- Species: Coho salmon, northern pike and walleye.
- Operations: Hatching and rearing.
- Location: Lake Mills on the east side of South Main Street, Jefferson County. Please use the indicated parking lot.
- Restrooms near the hatchery.
- Picnic area near the hatchery.
- Hours: Closed until October 2025
- Telephone: (920) 648-8012.
- Address: 302 South Main Street, Lake Mills, WI 53551.
- Note: Guided tours for 12 or more persons only. Please call ahead.
Nevin Hatchery
- Species: Brook, brown and rainbow trout.
- Operations: Broodstock, hatching and rearing.
- Location: In Fitchburg on the east side of Fish Hatchery Road (with DNR South Central Regional Headquarters), south of the "Beltline" (Highways 12, 14, 18, 151), Dane County.
- Hours: Temporarily closed to visitors—no tours at this time.
- Telephone: (608) 275-3246.
- Address: 3911 Fish Hatchery Road, Fitchburg, WI 53711.
- Note: Tours for groups of 10 or more are given by appointment only during May, June and July, Monday through Friday, between 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Please call (608) 275-3246 to make a reservation.
- Pets are not allowed on hatchery grounds.
Osceola Hatchery
- Species: Rainbow trout and brook trout (domestic).
- Operation: Broodstock, hatching and rearing.
- Location: Take Highway 35 northeast of Osceola, turn left (north) on County Highway S, and follow the signs in Polk County.
- No public restrooms at the hatchery.
- Camping and picnic facilities are nearby, such as Interstate State Park.
- Hours: Open 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
- Telephone: (715) 494-3257.
- Address: 2517 93rd Avenue Unit A, Osceola, WI 54020.
St. Croix Falls Hatchery
- Species: Brook and brown trout (domestic strains).
- Operations: Broodstock, hatching and rearing.
- Location: West (toward St. Croix River) of River Street in St Croix Falls business district, Polk County.
- Camping and picnic facilities are nearby, such as Interstate Park.
- No public restrooms at the hatchery.
- Hours: Open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.
- Telephone: (715) 494-3257.
- Address: 230 River Street, St. Croix Falls, WI 54024.
- More Information on St. Croix Falls Hatchery.
Wild Rose Hatchery
- Species: Brown trout, steelhead (rainbow trout), coho salmon and chinook salmon; Great Lakes spotted muskellunge, walleye and lake sturgeon.
- Operations: Hatching and rearing.
- Location: On the west side of Highway 22, about 0.5 miles north of Wild Rose, Waushara County.
- Live fish display.
- Restrooms at the Hatchery Education Center.
- Visitor Center Hours: The Visitor Center is open Wednesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. from April through October.
- Summer hours include Sundays and holidays: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Memorial Day through Labor Day and open on three summer holidays: Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day.
- The Education Center is closed on Monday and Tuesday, except it is open during the summer holidays. Please call at least three weeks ahead to schedule group tours for up to 30 people.
- IN-PERSON GROUP TOURS ARE AVAILABLE BY APPOINTMENT: April through October, Wednesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Please call or Email at least three weeks ahead to schedule a time for your group tour. Our classroom can accommodate groups of up to 30 people. If you have a larger group, please plan to split your group and visit two times.
- Telephone: (920) 622-3527, x209.
- Contacts: Jess Landwehr, Sam Stafslien.
- Address: N5871 State Road 22, Wild Rose, WI 54984.
- Carry-In, Carry-Out: We invite you to enjoy a picnic on the hatchery grounds, but please plan to take out your picnic waste and what you bring in.
- Dogs are not allowed on the grounds, in the Education Center or in any production area.
- More Information Wild Rose.