Fishing_Content Page_Root River Steelhead Facility Open House

Root River Steelhead Facility Open House

From Hatchery to Hook - Supporting Lake Michigan's Fishery

Join us for a one-of-a-kind experience at our Root River Steelhead Facility Open House. It's a day of fun, educational and hands-on events for the whole family. Whether you’re an angler, nature lover or curious visitor, there’s something for everyone!

Date: Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026
Time: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Location: Root River Steelhead Facility, 2200 Domanik Drive, Racine, WI 53404

One person showing a fish from the facility and childern viewing fish in a tank.

Open House Activities include (weather permitting)

Go behind the scenes and discover how we support Lake Michigan fish populations.

DNR staff partner with dozens of volunteers from our local clubs and organizations to offer fun, hands-on learning experiences like:

  • Guided Tour and Spawning Demonstrations – Provided by Wisconsin DNR staff. Fish enthusiasts of all ages can join one of our guided tours to learn how DNR crews capture fish and why we need to collect trout and salmon eggs to raise in hatcheries for stocking into Lake Michigan.
  • Touch of the Wild Education Trailer –Provided by Outdoor Heritage Education Center and brought to you by Milwaukee Great Lakes Sportfishermen. Touch of the Wild is a walk-through trailer where kids of all ages are able to explore by touching and engaging with displays. The trailer features more than three dozen species of fish and wildlife, including full-body and shoulder mounts of species native to Wisconsin. So much to explore!
  • Fly Casting Clinic – Provided by Southeast Wisconsin Trout Unlimited. Come learn from the experts!
  • Backyard Bass – Provided by Salmon Unlimited. Great activity for kids! Backyard Bass are plastic casting targets shaped like fish. They are designed to make learning to cast fun and easy. With a good cast, you can catch one of the fish and reel it in!
  • Trolling Boat Display – Provided by Salmon Unlimited. A Lake Michigan fishing boat and captain will be on display and available throughout the day to answer your questions about fishing on Lake Michigan.
  • Fly Tying – Provided (weather pending) by Kenosha Sportfishing and Conservation Association. Come see the skillful art of fly-tying. Volunteers from KSFCA have been offering fly-tying seminars for over 30 years.
  • And More - Meet representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Mass Marking Program, Root River Council, and Wisconsin Conservation Wardens who will be on hand throughout the day to answer questions.

Admission is free! Don’t miss this great chance to be introduced to the world of fisheries management. We can’t wait to see you there!