Brule River State Fish Hatchery
Hatchery Hours
8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., 7 days a week from June to September
8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., weekdays from October to May
Large groups are asked to call ahead.
Hatchery Location
13847 East Hatchery Road
Brule, WI 54820
Contact
Call (715) 372-4820 or email Bill Gobin or
Gervase Thompson
Brule Hatchery produces between 450,000 and 500,000 trout annually that are stocked into 21 counties in the Northern and Northeast region of Wisconsin.
An aerial view of Brule fish hatchery in the fall.
Visiting the hatchery
Taking a walking tour with informational signs along the rearing units filled with rainbow, brook and brown trout or visit the nature center to see fish and wildlife displays. Please no waders or boats allowed and visitors are asked to disinfect hands/feet before entering hatchery grounds to avoid tracking in viruses or bacteria.
A picnic area and campground are available less than one mile from the hatchery in the Brule River State Forest. Hiking is nearby on the North Country trail, Stoney Hill hiking trail, and Bayfield hiking trail. World class fishing on the "River of Presidents" the Bois Brule River is also less than a mile away. Fish for brook, brown and rainbow trout (steelhead), Chinook and coho salmon.
Events
Stay tuned because every year on the Saturday of Free Fishing Weekend is the annual Family Fun Day. Working cooperatively with the Brule River State Forest, Brule River Sportsman's Club, Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, Trout Unlimited, and Douglas County Fish & Game League, Brule hatchery provides a fun-filled day with many activities such as: fish printing, fly tying, fly casting, archery, turkey calling demonstration, hatchery tours, fire suppression equipment, fish filleting demonstration, electrofishing demonstrations, and canoe trips down the Brule River. All events are free of charge except if you need a T-shirt for fish printing, they sell them for $5.00.
Fish Production
The Brule fish hatchery annually produces an average of 164,000 St. Croix brook trout, 200,000 St. Croix brown trout, and 108,000 Erwin rainbow trout. There are 29 raceways and ponds fed by an open water source – the Brule River. Since the trout here are raised outdoors on spring water, they feed not only on pellet fish food, but also on natural food present in the river.
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