Genoa
Genoa, WI 54632-8836
Plan Your Visit
The hatchery provides a great stop along one of the nation’s greatest scenic highways. Its mission and the visitor center highlight the past and present uses of the Mississippi River, its people and fish and wildlife resources. Want to jump in right now? Take a virtual hatchery tour!
Points of Interest
The Great River Road Interpretive Center is an excellent learning center focusing on four important themes of the Upper Mississippi River Region. One exhibit focuses on the distant past civilizations to the present population that use the river as a highway and a means to trade and travel. One exhibit focuses on the recent past and the tragedy of the Battle of Bad Axe which happened just south of the hatchery. One exhibit focuses on the fish and wildlife resources of the region and the history of conservation in the basin, which includes the hatchery story and two aquariums filled with native species. Visitors can also walk the grounds and see many different habitats, from the river bluffs and wetlands to ponds and the Bad Axe River flowing into the Mississippi.
What To Do
If you have 15 minutes
- Watch the Great River Road Interpretive Center orientation video and view the exhibits
If you have one hour
- Watch the Great River Road Interpretive Center orientation video
- Explore the exhibits
- Visit the culture buildings
If you have half a day or more
- Tour the visitor center, exhibits and aquarium
- Take a self-guided walking tour of the hatchery and end at the trout pond on the other side of Highway 35 to feed the trout (seasonal)
- Tour the culture buildings
- See a lake sturgeon and a mudpuppy up close
- Walk the nature trail and wetland boardwalk, document the wildlife you see on our ponds, woods and wetlands
Scheduling Tours or Field Trips
Please call in advance to schedule group tours of our facilities. Group tours are generally provided between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Monday through Friday. Staff availability varies seasonally.
To schedule tours or field trips, contact: Erica Rasmussen Environmental Education Specialist Email: erica_rasmussen@fws.gov Phone: 608-689-2605
Know Before You Go
Bring plenty of drinking water, snacks, insect repellant, sunscreen and other necessities. Dress appropriately for the seasons and wear comfortable walking shoes.
Visitor Tips
Site maps and walking tour maps are available at the visitor center desks and brochure racks. Migratory times of spring and fall are best to spot waterfowl and shore birds. Bald eagles are seen from spring to early winter. Sandhill cranes are regularly seen in the spring in the hatchery wetland.
We are located on both sides of the Great River Road Scenic Byway, also known as State Highway 35, 3 miles south of Genoa, Wisconsin. The office is on the west side of the highway, at fire route number S 5631.
Activities
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Featured Species
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Services
Genoa National Fish Hatchery is a multi-species conservation hatchery that values and supports responsible outdoor recreation. The station fills a role in training the next generation of conservation stewards that will preserve our nation’s water resources, aquatic resources and their habitats.
The hatchery also assists numerous midwestern tribes in meeting their fishery management goals by providing seven different species of fish to tribal fishery biologists. Genoa National Fish Hatchery helps tribes restore native species, manage fish and mussel populations and provide recreational fishing opportunities. We are committed to meeting federal tribal trust responsibilities by assisting the tribes in meeting measurable fishery management objectives.
About
Authorized in 1924 and built as a back-to-work project during the Great Depression, the hatchery was located for its proximity to the Mississippi River and reliable artesian well water. Its mission has evolved from raising bass and panfish to recovering federally endangered aquatic species and restoring threatened fish populations. The station is unique for its many rearing units, raising over 15 species of fish and 15 species of mussels, as well as dragonfly and salamander species.