Hundreds of thousands of fish can be found in West Michigan's lakes, rivers and streams, but did you know many of them were born and raised at the Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery?
Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery breeds up to 50 million eggs each year, raising multiple kinds of fish.
Eggs stay 18 to 21 days inside what is called a hatching jar. After they hatch, the fish get transferred into a larger tank and grow until they're ready to be moved to the wild.
When the fish are big enough, it's time to put them in Michigan's many bodies of water. They suck up the fish from their tanks with a giant hose that connects to a transport truck, then release them through a separate hose putting them in lakes, rivers and streams.
So if you go fishing this summer and catch a big one, chances is are it came from one of Michigan's many fish Hatcheries.
The Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery is located at 34270 County Road 652 in Mattawan. For more information on hours, camps, exhibits, and more visit michigan.gov/wolflakevc or call (269)-668-2876.
To learn more about the great work the Michigan Wildlife Council has highlighted, visit hereformioutdoors.org.
