HEBRON, Ohio — Buckeye Lake is one of Tristen Bauer and Buddy Troy’s favorite spots for an afternoon of fishing. They often fish for saugeye, a hybrid of sauger and walleye, which are only present in the lake because of the efforts of the state’s fish hatchery programs.
What You Need To Know
- The goal of the hatchery system is to provide fish for stocking in public waterways
- The state owns and operates six hatcheries, which are all open to the public
- The funding comes from the sale of fishing licenses
Tristen Bauer (left) and Buddy Troy fish on Buckeye Lake. (Jef Hitsman/Spectrum News 1)
Richard Zweifel is an Inland Fisheries Program Administrator for the Divion of Wildlife. He said the goal of the hatchery system is to provide “fish for stocking in public waterways to provide fishing opportunities for anglers that wouldn’t otherwise exist.”
The state owns and operates six hatcheries, which are all open to the public.
A fish hatchery pond. (Jef Hitsman/Spectrum News 1)
Zweifel is happy to help provide these experiences for anglers across the state. Ohio has more than 865,000 anglers, so the pressure on the lakes is high.
Ohio’s fish hatcheries produce more than 40 million fish each year. Beyond the ponds, the public is welcome to tour the grounds and hike the trails.
Fish hatchery containers. (Jef Hitsman/Spectrum News 1)
“All of our funding comes from the sale of fishing licenses,” said Zweifel. “So we want to make sure that we’re sort of returning those dollars to our anglers with quality opportunities for them to take advantage of, you know, fishing opportunities throughout the state.”
More information on Ohio’s hatcheries may be found here.
