Rainbow Trout Culture at the Chuck Gipp Decorah Fish Hatchery

DRC After Hours Sponsor: Shannon Duncan

**Please note the meeting place for this After Hours presentation is the Chuck Gipp Decorah Fish Hatchery.**

Brian Malaise, Fisheries Biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, will give an on-site presentation about the stocking process, trout varieties, affects of runoff in the local streams, the economic impact to the region and other items of interest. The group will start in the shop building and then move outside to raceways to observe and feed the fish.

Rainbow trout are raised in 24 raceways and three rubber lined earthen ponds at the Chuck Gipp Decorah Fish Hatchery. About 130,000 catchable-size rainbow trout are raised each year. Hatchery personnel are responsible for stocking 15 put-and-take streams in Allamakee, Howard, Mitchell and Winneshiek counties. The hatchery also stocks five seasonal urban lakes in Mason City, Sioux City, Spencer, Ames and Ankeny or Bondurant.

There is a article featuring Brian in the April 21 edition of The Driftless with the complete version featured in the April 16 edition of Decorah Leader.

Feel free to come early or stay late to explore Siewers Spring, watch the eagles or walk/bike the trail. You may want to bring a chair for the presentation being hosted in the shop area as well as a container or bag for trout food.

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