Sullivan Creek
Brimley, MI 49715-9393
Plan Your Visit
Sullivan Creek National Fish Hatchery is located in the heart of the Hiawatha National Forest. Access to the site is via gravel roads. Nestled within pines, Sullivan Creek flows through our facility and is the sole water source for the lake trout brood stock.
Due to the sensitivity of our brood stock at Sullivan Creek National Fish Hatchery, access to the hatchery is restricted. Visits and tours may be arranged by appointment. Please contact Pendills Creek National Fish Hatchery at 906-437-5231 to arrange tours of either facility.
Points of Interest
Sullivan Creek National Fish Hatchery is a dedicated lake trout broodfish facility. Each year we collect more than 6 million lake trout eggs for various state, tribal and federal facilities. Access is restricted to ensure our lake trout brood stock are protected.
What To Do
If you have 15 minutes
- Enjoy a quick visit at our kiosk
If you have one hour
- Check out our facility. Ensure you have scheduled a tour with the Pendills Creek National Fish Hatchery office first.
If you have half a day or more
- Visit our facility, and then head over to Pendills Creek National Fish Hatchery to enjoy a picnic lunch and enjoy the Lake Superior public beach access site under the pavilion, then take the boardwalk to Lake Superior and spend the day at the beach.
Know Before You Go
Sun hats and insect repellant are always a good idea in the spring and summer. Be careful of tripping hazards and deep water when viewing fish inside our fish raceway building.
Visitor Tips
Cell phone coverage can be spotty. As can navigating with GPS units to our location. For easier navigation, please use our GPS coordinates: 46.312277, -84.807035.
There is no charge to visit.
Sullivan Creek National Fish Hatchery is nestled in the Eastern Unit of the Hiawatha National Forest. Sullivan Creek is a very remote station, and located by driving down 4.5 miles of gravel roads south of M-28 off Sullivan Creek Trail. Please contact Pendills Creek National Fish Hatchery to arrange an appointment. For easier navigation, please use our GPS coordinates: 46.312277, -84.807035.
Activities
Featured Species
Get Involved
Our volunteers are individuals who want to give back to their communities, including parents, retirees, students, and citizens who want to learn about conservation or enjoy the outdoors. Please call us at 906-437-5231 or email us to learn about future volunteer opportunities. Hatchery staff also provide a variety of outreach opportunities from school tours to local event booths.
Services
Two strains of valuable lake trout brood stock, the Seneca Lake Wild and the Huron Parry Sound Wild, are held at Sullivan Creek National Fish Hatchery. The Seneca Lake Wild strain originate from the Finger Lakes area of New York, while the Huron Parry Sound Wild strain originate from the Big Sound area of Northern Lake Huron. The adult fish are spawned each fall with eggs used to support restoration programs in the Upper Great Lakes and other lake trout stocking programs. The eggs are incubated until eye-up, and then transferred to other federal, state, and tribal facilities.
About
Sullivan Creek National Fish Hatchery was originally built by the Civilian Conservation Corp in the 1930s. The hatchery was used by the U.S. Forest Service to provide brook trout to nearby streams, but was closed during World War II due to manpower and appropriation shortages. The hatchery was renovated in 1959, and became a sub-station of the newly built Pendills Creek National Fish Hatchery to help provide lake trout for stocking in the Great Lakes. In 1994, the hatchery again shifted to house lake trout broodstock , and has since been a provider of lake trout eggs throughout the country. Access to Sullivan Creek is restricted due to the sensitivity of our valuable broodstock.
