Visit Us

A brick building (Midwest Fisheries Center) with a sign that reads, "U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Fisheries Center, 555 Lester Avenue, La Crosse Fish Health Center, La Crosse Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office, Whitney Genetics Laboratory, Ecological Services, Migratory Birds, Friends of the Upper Mississippi" and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service logo
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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 call to pre-arrange a tour. 

Activities

An orange spotted fish in an aquarium with river landscape background
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If you have 15 minutes

Visitors can view the lobby aquarium of native fish and the Mississippi River mural

If you have one hour

Visitors can view the lobby aquarium of native fish, the Mississippi River mural, view the displays on our scientific work and history and take a pre-scheduled tour of our labs and pollinator garden

Other Facilities in the Complex

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

Person dissecting three fish on tray
La Crosse Fish Health Center
Fish health centers provide expertise in aquatic animal health through diagnostics, monitoring, investigations, certifications and training related to both wild and captive populations. Centers coordinate the Wild Fish Health Survey and address emerging pathogen issues through applied research and...
Conservation Office
Onalaska,WI
Woman on boat with fish net in hand on Mississippi river.
La Crosse Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office
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 ...
Conservation Office
Onalaska,WI
PCR machine with blue strand of DNA
Whitney Genetics Laboratory
The Whitney Genetics Laboratory uses environmental DNA (eDNA) testing for early detection of invasive carp in the Chicago Area Waterway System, the Illinois, Upper Mississippi and Ohio Rivers as well as tributaries of all five Great Lakes. The lab also provides species identification via genetic...
Conservation Office
Onalaska,WI

Locations

Midwest Fisheries Center
(608) 684-0085
555 Lester AvenueOnalaska,WI54650-8552
Hours
Visitor Center Hours
Monday - Friday, except federal holidays
7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.