Spirit Lake, Iowa (RI) – Spring is spawning season and Iowa’s fish hatcheries are working to grow the fish to fill lakes across the state.
Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery Manager Kim Hawkins says they were very successful in collecting the northern pike needed this year.
Hawkins says it took them six nights last year to catch the same number of fish. They extract the eggs from the females and fertilize them with the males and then wait for them to hatch.
Other species are grown in the hatchery and then released, but not the pike.
Spirit Lake also handles walleyes and muskies.
Hawkins says the Spirit Lake Hatchery is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week until the netting is completed for the walleyes and muskies.
