decorah fish hatchery

What a fun place to go to learn all about how those delicious fish that you love to catch are raised!!! AND you get the added benefit of the beautiful land that surrounds it. Pack a picnic lunch to take to the base of the waterfall for a restful meal, or bring along your fishing pole and go fishing off of the little bridge.(Being SURE to put any lose left over hooks or fishing line into the fishing line recycling station!!!) And the piece de resistance....go sit on of the benches by the little Kiosk and wait patiently until one of our famous Decorah Eagles flies by!!! I must admit,the Eagles are my FIRST reason for being there, but Brian ( the Hatchery Manager) and his Hatchery are a great added benefit. If you happen to be there early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when they flush the tanks, you may even be rewarded by seeing one of the Eagles ( Mom and Dad , or one of their offspring if the time of year is right) come "Fishing" for dinner!!! Please be respectful of the area, keep your voices down, your pets on leashes at all times , so as not to disturb our precious nesting Eagles.If you have trouble finding their nests ( One active,one inactive) just ask at the hatchery, they will be happy to point them out to you!!! Who knows, by the time you leave you may be an Eagleholic like myself and millions of others across the globe!!!!

We stopped here to walk around and hopefully see an eagle. We both enjoy outdoors, so it was great to see nature. We saw an eagle and both nests. Lots of fish of several sizes. If it was warmer I am sure there would be more to check out. One of the folks from the DNR was doing some chores and talked to us for a few minutes about the hatchery. Worth the time to check it out. We will be back.

Decorah lies in the middle of the Driftless Area with dozens of cold-water streams teaming with trout and host great restaurants, bed and breakfasts, and a wonderful old hotel. The entire area is worthy of a week or two exploring the nature and the lovely shops and museums in the area. It is only a few miles from beautiful little towns in Minnesota and a very short distance across the River from Wisconsin and Illinois.

This is worth a stop because it's free and fun to see the fish swarm to the top when people walk by. Be sure to stroll down by the river. The real draw is across the road where the Eagle Camera is focused on a bald eagle nest. You can go online to watch it up close. Two eagles were perched nearby when we visited.

There are a couple of gum ball or candy machines where you can put in a quarter and get a hand full of fish food to feed the trout. It was a lot of fun. You may want of bring a small container like a coffee cup or sandwich bag to put the fish food in. Don't miss the beautiful waterfall across the little bridge on the other side of the trout stream.

I've been to hatcheries before, but none like this. The pools were overcrowded to the point that many fish had been attacked and tails eaten off. Most of the pools were so sludgy that you couldn't see through the water. It was pretty gross. Based on the other reviews in the same time frame, maybe I showed up just before cleaning or something. The rest property looked nice though, even the bathrooms were clean.

The trout jumping at the hatchery and in the creek. A great treat when a fledging eagle posed on a lamp over the trout tanks. Got lots of great photos on a sunny day. What fun! Will go back tomorrow and enjoy the trails.

Overall a nice diversion for a half an hour or so. My nine year old really enjoyed feeding the fish. A few more educational signs over the runs would have been nice

Great family activity and it's free. Close to trout fishing streams. Educational and friendly staff officers. Close to the bald eagles nesting site.

Multiple ponds where young trout abound. Interesting display about several local eagles is also there. We managed to see both nests that were mentioned. Nice bike trail there and plenty of hiking if you're interested.

Fun to feed the fish that clearly know they are getting fed. Neat to see the several types of trout in the area.

We went to the hatchery in the fall 2013, specifically to see if we could observe the Decorah Eagles. The hatchery was a very pleasant place to visit and my husband had a good chat with one of the staff. We only got one good glimpse of an adult eagle as it flew low passed our motor home. Otherwise they were busy soaring. We did see nest #2 and watched the workmen planning to put up the new webcam in anticipation of winter. I want to go back. I understanding they are fundraising to add to the educational aspects of the hatchery location. It is defiinitely worth the investment. I want to go back next Spring. Hopefully when there are new eaglets.

I don't know why, but I love feeding the trout. This is a great place to see the eagles, if you know where to look. I go here several times when I am in Decorah.

The Decorah Fish Hatchery is exceptionally well known to many throughout the state of Iowa. Nestled back in a little area, just outside Decorah, you will find a spring which supplies the ponds for the hatchery and the stream which flows through the property. There are several different "ponds" of cement in which the fish are raised. There are food pellet dispensers for both young and old alike to feed all the fish and watch the flurry of activity as the pellets hit the water. There are plenty of educational opportunities throughout the property and fishing is actually allowed in the crystal clear stream. I am now in my mid forties and still enjoy visiting this location. This is one of the "Fish Hatcheries" which supply the majority of lakes, streams, and ponds throughout the state of Iowa. During the summer it is remarkably cool in temperature on hot days and walking up to the spring head is easy and very pleasant. You may bring a picnic and make a great outing for the family or you may make this a quick, educational, trip.The world renowned "Eagle Cam" nest (the first one) is located just a few minutes from here and during the last check the actual nest was still in place. It is amazing in and of itself.If you are interested in fishing, nature, or just simple beauty, this is well worth a visit. Many locals routinely go there for a day of relaxation or fishing. One thing to note: You need to have a "Trout Stamp" to fish in the stream; at least at last check.

I grew up in Decorah and have visited a number of times. The last trip into town, I took my husband who has never been to a fish hatchery. We had a chance to talk to a couple of the typical Midwestern friendly workers and they gave us a great, personal, educational experience. Even of no workers available to talk, it's a beautiful little place.