La Crosse Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office was established in 1981 and works to monitor and control the spread of invasive species such as invasive carp and round goby as well as restore threatened and endangered freshwater mussels and fish like the Topeka shiner and  inter-jurisdictional species like lake sturgeon. The office also provides technical and field expertise to tribal governments in managing their resources. Habitat biologists work to restore fish passage at dams in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa and coordinate habitat conservation projects for the Driftless Area Restoration Effort and Fishers and Farmers Partnership for the Upper Mississippi River Basin under the National Fish Habitat Partnership.  

About Us

The office provides technical and field expertise to tribal governments in managing their resources, such as assisting in walleye assessments in treaty-ceded territory and restoring lake sturgeon populations of the Red River Basin including the White Earth and Red Lake Nations. One key initiative includes controlling the spread of Aquatic Invasive Species through techniques like eDNA, telemetry, multi-beam sonar,and split-beam hydroacoustics. Habitat biologists work to restore fish passage fish passage
Fish passage is the ability of fish or other aquatic species to move freely throughout their life to find food, reproduce, and complete their natural migration cycles. Millions of barriers to fish passage across the country are fragmenting habitat and leading to species declines. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Fish Passage Program is working to reconnect watersheds to benefit both wildlife and people.

Learn more about fish passage
at dams in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa and coordinate habitat conservation projects for the Driftless Area Restoration Effort and Fishers and Farmers Partnership for the Upper Mississippi River Basin under the National Fish Habitat Partnership. 

What We Do

La Crosse Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office works to: 

  • Restore native, inter-jurisdictional fishes and aquatic habitats 
  • Prevent the extinction of federally endangered fish and mussels 
  • Impede the spread of nonindigenous aquatic nuisance species 
  • Provide environmental education and outreach 
  • Attain fish passage fish passage
    Fish passage is the ability of fish or other aquatic species to move freely throughout their life to find food, reproduce, and complete their natural migration cycles. Millions of barriers to fish passage across the country are fragmenting habitat and leading to species declines. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Fish Passage Program is working to reconnect watersheds to benefit both wildlife and people.

    Learn more about fish passage
    on streams and restore historic fish migrations through the National Fish Passage Program
  • Work on river and stream restoration, rehabilitation and enhancement projects 
  • Coordinate two National Fish Habitat Partnerships for the Upper Mississippi River Basin: the Driftless Area Restoration Effort and the Fishers and Farmers Partnership for the Upper Mississippi River Basin 
  • Fulfill federal trust responsibilities to Native American tribes 

Our Organization

The La Crosse Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office is housed within the Midwest Fisheries Center, which also includes the La Crosse Fish Health Center, Whitney Genetics Laboratory and administrative, GIS and outreach staff, as well as the Regional Watercraft Safety Coordinator.

The Midwest Fisheries Center is the region’s Fish Technology Center for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Fish Technology Centers provide leadership in science-based management of trust aquatic resources through applied research and the development of new concepts, strategies and techniques to solve problems in aquatic resource conservation. Established in 2015, the Midwest Fisheries Center’s mission is: “Working in partnership, we provide leadership in science, technology and education for conservation of aquatic ecosystems emphasizing fisheries, aquatic invasive species invasive species
An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.

Learn more about invasive species
, genetics and aquatic animal health for the benefit of the public”.

Juvenile Northern Pike in aquarium at Gavins Point National Fish Hatchery, South Dakota
The Fish and Aquatic Conservation program leads aquatic conservation efforts for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We are committed to tackling the nation’s highest priority aquatic conservation and recreational challenges to conserve, restore, and enhance fisheries for future generations.
A half dozen large silver fish jumping out of the water to a height of six feet.
Aquatic invasive species cause tremendous harm to our environment, our economy, and our health. They can drive out and eat native plants and wildlife, spread diseases, and damage infrastructure. We work to protect our waterways and the communities that depend on them from the threat of invasive...
A person is walks through a large wide culvert that passes under a gravel road. A small river runs through the culvert.
Across the country, millions of barriers are fragmenting rivers, blocking fish migration, and putting communities at higher risk to flooding. Improving fish passage is one of the most effective ways to help conserve vulnerable species while building safer infrastructure for communities and...
A view of the Sacramento River. Its flat, blue water is lined by bright green trees and vegetation. Blue skies are overhead.
The National Fish Habitat Partnership is a comprehensive effort to treat the causes of fish habitat decline, not just the symptoms. The Partnership is a national investment strategy to maximize the impact of conservation dollars on the ground. Funds are leveraged through regional partnerships to...

Our Species

We work on the detection of  invasive species invasive species
An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.

Learn more about invasive species
 including the highly invasive bighead and silver carp and round goby. In addition, the office works on improvement of habitat for the endangered Topeka shiner and other priority fish like brook trout and smallmouth bass, endangered freshwater mussels such as the Higgins eye, and fish passage fish passage
Fish passage is the ability of fish or other aquatic species to move freely throughout their life to find food, reproduce, and complete their natural migration cycles. Millions of barriers to fish passage across the country are fragmenting habitat and leading to species declines. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Fish Passage Program is working to reconnect watersheds to benefit both wildlife and people.

Learn more about fish passage
for lake sturgeon and other fish and freshwater mussels.

A Silver carp jumping out of the water with boat wake below and a tree lined shoreline in the background

Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) are one of four nonnative fish species belonging to a group commonly referred to as “invasive carp”. Native to eastern Asia, silver carp were introduced to the United States during the 1970’s and 1980’s to private fish farms and wastewater...

FWS Focus
Underwater photo of a bighead carp in a tank with white background

Bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) are native to eastern Asia and are one of four nonnative fish referred to as “invasive carp”. These fish are large, deep bodied fish that have a large head and a large toothless mouth with a protruding lower jaw. The bighead carp eyes are far...

FWS Focus
A pile of mussels.

The Higgins eye is a freshwater mussel of larger rivers where it is usually found in areas with deep water and moderate currents. Its range includes the upper Mississippi River, the St. Croix River between Minnesota and Wisconsin, the Wisconsin River in Wisconsin, and the lower Rock River...

FWS Focus

Projects and Research

Understanding seasonal movements and habitat preferences of invasive species is one key to controlling them. If you want to control an invasive species, you must know where they are. To control them efficiently, you need data on their hotspots, where they live during different times of the year, and when they are most active during the day. Acoustic telemetry is one way that biologists are...

The Upper Iowa River is rich with recreation

It's one of the state's most popular rivers for canoeing, kayaking, tubing, and fishing.

The Upper Iowa River offers the most public land access of all Iowa Rivers.

The Scenic River and Water Trail meanders through limestone bluffs and driftless trout streams and draws visitors from all over the country....

Visit Us

Our lobby features informational displays describing local aquatic wildlife and our scientific research and conservation efforts, a Mississippi River mural and an aquarium of local native fish. The lobby is open to the public. Our laboratories and other work areas are not generally open for tours so we encourage visitors to email or call to pre-arrange a tour. 

Get Involved

The Midwest Fisheries Center offers environmental education activities for community groups and schools. In addition, the center can lend fishing poles to local community groups. Each year, the center co-sponsors several events in the community. There are a variety of volunteer opportunities available in several different areas.

Location and Contact Information