Save Our Native Species Inc.
S.O.N.S. of Lake Erie Fishing Club
(A 501 C (3) not for profit organization)

Hatchery Operations 2024-25

SONS HATCHERY COMMENCES 39^th YEAR IN OPERATION

On Thursday Nov. 20, 2024 the SONS of Lake Erie commenced its 39th  year of fish propagation at its hatchery on the foot of Chestnut St. on Presque Isle Bay in Erie. 1200 5-6 in  brown trout fry  were brought to Erie from the PFBC hatchery in Linesville, PA. Twenty two SONS volunteers were on hand to assist our hatchery crew in transferring the fish from the truck to the tanks in the hatchery. They will be reared there until late March and then they will be stocked in Presque Isle Bay. They will be fed daily and cared for by our dedicated volunteers until they grow to about 8-10 inches. The SONS hatchery was built in 1985 just about 100 ft away from the location PFBC's hatchery which was built in 1914 and closed in the early 1960's. The sons have hatched over 4 million walleye, thousands of perch and steelhead at this facility. This is the fifth year that the hatchery has been used to raise brown trout. Below are some pictures taken that day.

As reported prior, on November 20 2024, 1200 Brown Trout were delivered to the SONS hatchery. A crew of volunteers spent the next 4 months feeding treating and caring for the fish resulting their growing to 8-12 inches. On March 19 our hatchery crew removed about 900 trout and stocked them into Presque Isle Bay. Following the fish stocking the tanks and equipment was cleaned and made ready to receive our allotment of walleye eggs.

Following the brown trout stocking on April 3,2025 our hatchery crew went to the PFBC hatchery in Linesville, Pa and picked up 4 bags containing 1.5 million walleye eggs. The four bags containing the walleye eggs were floated in one of our holding tanks until the water in the bags matched the tank temperature. Then the eggs are carefully removed from the bags using a ladle. Then they are transferred to the hatching jars some which were already hatching as they were placed into the hatching jars. Normally the eggs take 21 days from fertilization to hatch. Apparently these eggs were taken about 10 days before they were turned over to our hatchery crew.

The walleye eggs at the hatchery nearing the completion of  their hatching process on  April 12 and as customary for the last 40 years, the hatchery was opened to the public so that they can understand how the system works and how it effects our fishery and community.

On April 17, 2025 the 2025 allotment reached the end of the hatching process so a team of SONS volunteers gathered at the hatchery where the live walleye fry were carefully siphoned from trheir holding tanks anf carried by bucket around Presque Isle Bay by truck and some very helpful bass fishermen. There were approx 190 10 inch brown trout that were also stocked into the ay. They were held back from the first stocking so that they could be viewd bu our open house visitors. After the tanks were emptied they were cleaned and the system was flushed and shut down until next season. All trhis was accomplished by a great group of dedicated volunteers.

In October a new steel roof was installed on the SONS hatcheryfr at the foot of Chestnut St. in Erie. The $22000 project was completed by crews from Alex Roofing Co. and their subcontractors. New gutters were also installed thanks to a $2000 grant from the Erie Community foundation

On Saturday, January 25, 2025,  PFBC Exec. Dir. Tim Schaeffer visited the SONS hatchery at the foot of Chestnut St. in Erie. Hatchery Manager Jack Bock and Joe Springer and Don Tombaugh were on hand to provide info on hatchery ops. He was able to see the over 1200  brown trout which we were raising at the hatchery at that time. These brown trout will be stocked into Presque Isle Bay in late March.. Mr. Schaeffer also toured the 3-CU trout club facilities.