Friends, just a reminder of our annual river clean up this Saturday June 1st at Wild Cat landing from 8:00 A.M. til 12:00. If anyone would like to bring their boat it would be greatly appreciated. Hope to see you all there! Have a great Memorial day! Take care, Al.

Last summer, we were fortunate to get funding to replace the kettles in ponds 12 and 13. The kettle is the concrete structure at the low point of the pond. As a pond drains, the fish gather in the kettle where they can be netted out. The previous kettles were at the end of their life and had become a safety issue due to the crumbling concrete. I found that out the hard way one day when I went for an unexpected swim. Contractors got to work last summer removing the old kettles and installing the new ones. Former hatchery manager, Doug Aloisi helped design a new style that is much different than the ones we currently use. The new design creates an area of low current velocity for the fish to rest in prior to harvest. Our current kettles lack that “quiet” water, meaning fish must swim against the current coming through the kettle or risk being pinned against the screen. Another benefit of the new design is the increased screen surface area. This will lower current velocities going through the screen and reduce chances of algae and vegetation plugging the screen. Finally, the kettles have a dual drain design that will help us draw down the pond to the perfect level. We can open the first drain and sleep easy at night knowing the pond will be ready for harvest in the morning without constant monitoring or return trips to the hatchery in the evening to shut pond drains. Pond 12 work was completed this spring and will get its first test with a crop of yellow perch. We’re excited to see how these new kettles work and hopefully they help us produce more and healthier fish for years to come! By: Nick Bloomfield

Concrete kettle in a hatchery filled pond with an excavator on the road. Photo: Nick Bloomfield/USFWS.

UPCOMING EVENTS

April 20th 10-2pm Party for the Planet –celebrate Earth Day @National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium in Dubuque, IA

May 18th 8:30-12pm Kids Fishing Day Event @ Genoa NFH Youth 5-12 years old, take home 3 Rainbow Trout

June 8th 9-12pm 10th Annual Lions District 27-D2 FISHABILITY @ Genoa NFH. Open to any youth with a disability K-12 Register call Pat 608-279-2417

June 22nd 10-2pm 100th Anniversary Celebration Open House @ Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge La Crosse District Visitor Center

July 13th 10-2pm Youth Outdoor Fest @Pettibone Park

Please follow us on Facebook and check out our website for more details. If you are interested in volunteering please contact Erica Rasmussen (608)689-2605 or erica_rasmussen@fws.gov

Due to unseasonably warm temperatures and deteriorating ice conditions on the hatchery pond, Genoa National Fish Hatchery is reluctantly postponing the Annual Kids Ice Fishing Day. This event, which was schedule for this Saturday February 3rd, will be moved to Saturday February 24th from 8:30am to 12pm. Please follow our FB Page for news and information about this great event.

Please let me know if you are available to help on Feb. 24th

Thank you, 

Please welcome our new Project Leader, Craig Bockholt, to the Genoa National Fish Hatchery! Craig is originally from the Midwest, born and raised in Northwest Iowa. Craig started his career with the USFWS after serving 4 years with the U.S. Marine Corps. He spent the early part of his career at Gavins Point NFH in Yankton, South Dakota. Then in 2016 he accepted the Project Leader position at White Sulphur Springs NFH in West Virginia.
Now he is coming back to the Midwest as the Project Leader at the GNFH! Craig has over 20 years of experience in the National Fish Hatchery system working with freshwater mussels, warm, cool and cold fish species propagation and broodstock management. When not working Craig is an avid outdoorsman and especially enjoys pheasant hunting, archery hunting, and fishing for catfish and walleye. We are very excited to welcome Craig to the GNFH staff!
By: Erica Rasmussen