News & Views Hatchery Operations Systems management
Michigan allocates $30M for upgrades to state fish hatcheries

Michigan’s six state fish hatcheries are getting upgraded over the next three years. 

The department received a US$30 million one-time general fund appropriation to address backlogged critical infrastructure needs. 

The money will address deferred infrastructure needs, improve energy efficiency, and enhance biosecurity at the state fish hatcheries, including constructing a cool water fish production facility at the Wolf Lake hatchery to support Walleye and Muskellunge production.

These hatcheries include Harrietta State Fish Hatchery, Marquette State Fish Hatchery, Oden State Fish Hatchery, Platte River State Fish Hatchery, Thompson State Fish Hatchery, and Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery. They produce rainbow trout, brown trout, Atlantic salmon, Arctic grayling, ​​chinook salmon, walleye and muskellunge for the state.

Most of these sites were created in the 1920s, except Harrietta State Fish Hatchery which was created in 1901. Although they’ve had some updates in the past, they need a facelift. 

According to information from the Department of Natural Resources’ FY 2025 Capital Outlay Five-Year Plan, the department’s hatcheries typically produce approximately 7 million trout and salmon and up to 30 million Walleye, Muskellunge, and Lake Sturgeon annually. At this output level, approximately 300 to 400 tons of fish are produced each year for stocking in Michigan’s public fishing waters.

“To ensure the fish production facilities can produce the required fish, each hatchery has highly trained maintenance staff supported by system-wide electronics specialists. According to industry standards, two to four percent of the capital costs should be budgeted annually for facility maintenance, assuming the programmed facility life is 50 years.”