Harrison Lake
Charles City, VA 23030-2844
Plan Your Visit
Harrison Lake National Fish Hatchery is a 444-acre facility of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service located in the quiet rural setting of Virginia's historic tidewater plantation country. Come visit us! You can enjoy hiking, birding, wildlife watching, and picnicking at the hatchery grounds.
We have a hike-walking trail that follows Herring Creek and travels up to the 99-acre Harrison Lake, where you can also enjoy boating (non-motorized) and fishing. Visit Virginia Fishing Regulations and Licenses for more information on fishing in Virginia.
Our trail takes you through a large loblolly pine forest, past wetlands, and Herring Creek all located on our property. The trail also passes several historic sites such as an old abandoned still from the 1960’s. If you look closely at the ground, you can see the remains of straight plow furrows that date back to when this area was once a cornfield in the 1800s. After the field was abandoned, the site was colonized by trees and has now developed into a mature forest. You may also find animal tracks in the loose soil, a turkey feather, mussel shells, or maybe a snake skin.
Insect repellent and protective clothing are suggested during warm weather due to the presence of biting insects and poison ivy.
The hatchery is also adjacent to the Virginia Capital Trail, a 52-mile biking/hiking trail connecting Williamsburg to Richmond, Virginia. We are near the mid-point, between trail miles 27 and 28.
Call 804-829-2421, or email rachel_mair@fws.gov to schedule a tour. We welcome schools, homeschoolers and youth groups for tours anytime.
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About
Established in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps on property once part of the historic Berkeley Plantation, Harrison Lake National Fish Hatchery originally focused on raising warm-water fish for recreational stocking. Since the 1980s, the hatchery has shifted its focus to restoring migratory fish such as American shad and river herring to the Chesapeake Bay watershed. In 2007, it expanded its mission to include the production and restoration of native freshwater mussels to help maintain river habitat and water quality across Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina.