Frank Stone and Jessica Kavanagh collecting fish at the IRNFH

Frank Stone and Jessica Kavanagh (Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility), provided technical assistance to the staff of the Iron River National Fish Hatchery to remove (via back pack shocking) wild trout from the upper sections of Schacte Creek. This collection effort primarily targeted brook trout found within a ¾ mile section of the creek up river of the hatchery. As a result of this effort, 50 brook trout were placed in live traps.  These fish will be sampled by the LaCrosse Fish Health Office staff to determine the presence of bacterial and viral pathogens.

Schacte Creek is the primary source of water for the hatchery, thus it’s imperative to maintain wild fish stocks to a minimum to reduce the potential for transferring pathogens to the hatchery’s production fish.