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

Hatchery Operations 2025-26

SONS HATCHERY COMMENCES 40th  YEAR IN OPERATION

SONS of Lake Ere 2025-26 HATCHERY SEASON KICKED OFF on Thursday November 6, 2025 when a truck from PFBC’s Linesville Fish Culture Station. The driver brought with him 750 brown trout for us to raise in our hatchery at the foot of Chestnut St. in Erie. This was half of our 1500 allotment as part of the PFBC’s Co Operative program. The balance of 750 brown trout will be delivered on November 13th. The local TV stations were on hand to record the event

The fish will be cared for by our hatchery crew led by our Hatchery, Manager, Jack Bock and a host of volunteers until late March when they will be stocked into Presque Isle Bay. 

On November 13, 2025 another 750 brown trout were brought to our hatchery by a truck from the PFBC Linesville fish culture station bringing our total allotment to 1500. As usual our hatchery crew and a group of our volunteers were on hand to accept the fish.
 

As reported, on November 6, 2025, the 40 Anniversary of our hatchery’s operation began when 1600 Brown Trout were delivered to the SONS hatchery. A crew of volunteers spent the next 5 months feeding treating and caring for the fish resulting in their growing to 8-10 inches. On March 25, 2026, our hatchery crew removed and stocked them into Presque Isle Bay.

Following the fish stocking the tanks and equipment was cleaned and hatchery operations were closed for the season, because this year we will not receive our usual allotment of Walleye eggs. This was due to recent regulations imposed by the DEP that specifies that all fish that are stocked into the Great Lakes be tested for disease. This would require that our newly hatched walleye fry be held in the tanks for periods up to a month. Our past experience has shown through past attempts to hold walleye failed due to crowding, insufficient food and a propensity to cannibalism results in high mortality. Hopefully by next hatching season we can resolve the problems and resume walleye production. Sorry but we will not have an open house at the hatchery this year either.