Pendills Creek NFH fish distribution truck at the dock with the M/V Spencer F. Baird - Photo Credit: USFWS

Unloading lake trout from the fish truck to the M/V Spencer F. Baird - Photo Credit: USFWS

M/V Spencer F. Baird - Photo Credit: USFWS

Pendills Creek National Fish Hatchery (NFH) raises lake trout for release into the Great Lakes under the Great Lakes Restoration Program. With the help of Jordan River NFH, Iron River NFH, the MV Spencer F. Baird, and Alpena NFWCO; 1,026,906 coded wire tagged and adipose clipped yearling lake trout were stocked onto reefs in Lakes Michigan and Huron. Fish stocking and distribution is a very busy time of year, and requires much coordination among the lake trout hatcheries and the fish stocking vessel, the Spencer F. Baird. All three hatcheries have millions of lake trout to stock into the Great lakes in a span of about two and a half months, and each must help the other haul their fish in special fish distribution trucks with bulk tanks designed just for hauling lake trout. Once the fish are in the distribution trucks, they are hauled to the MV Spencer F. Baird, which has ten specially designed fish tanks on its deck. The Baird will then sail the lake trout out to different reefs in the lakes and stock the fish overboard to their new homes.
 

Pendills Creek NFH stocked Superior Apostle Island Wild, Lewis Lake Wild, and Seneca Lake Wild strains of lake trout. The fish averaged 6.22” in length and weighed a total of 74,060 pounds.