- Hours/History
Hours
- Monday – Friday 7 a.m. – 3 p.m.
(Off property commitments may alter hours)
History
East Fork Hatchery is the newest cool and warm water hatchery to be constructed in Indiana since the 1940s. The hatchery takes its name from the nearby East Fork of the White River. Construction started in February 1982 and was completed in July 1983 at a cost of $2.7 million. The hatchery construction was financed from the sale of hunting and fishing licenses.The hatchery covers about 80 acres and contains 29 earthen ponds ranging from ½ to 6 acres in size. The ponds total 33 acres of water.
One of the unique characteristics of the East Fork Hatchery is that this facility was originally designed to be able to experiment with, and respond to, the various fish culture options that were emerging during the construction of this hatchery. Over time, pond configurations have changed here at East Fork, to meet the Indiana DNR’s fish production needs. For this reason, there are various aquaculture methods used on this property, including internal and external raceway systems, as well as a variety of pond configurations.
The water supply is the1,400-acre Dogwood Lake, located on Glendale Fish & Wildlife Area. Water is gravity fed from depths of 7 and 30 feet to eliminate pumping costs. Water temperature is controlled by valves which blend water from the two levels. The water is then screened to remove debris, aerated, and directed to either the ponds or the production building. More than 2,000 gallons of water per minute can be drawn from the lake. A standby generator provides power to the facility in emergency situations.
Being a State-owned facility, all fish reared at East Fork Hatchery are stocked into public waters accessible to all individuals who purchase an Indiana fishing license. People interested in purchasing fish for private ponds can contact any number of private hatcheries throughout the state. - Monday – Friday 7 a.m. – 3 p.m.
- Fish Culture
- Production
- Volunteer Opportunities
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East Fork State Fish Hatchery
5807 E. 825 South
Montgomery, IN; 47558
812-644-7717
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