The Fairport Fish Hatchery is located along Iowa Highway 22, eight miles east of Muscatine in Muscatine County. It has a very rich history, serving Iowa's natural resources and its anglers for many years. The facility is located along the scenic upper Mississippi River valley. The land where the hatchery is located was donated to the federal government by the Association of Button Manufacturers. It was established as a biological station by Congress in 1908. The station was set up for freshwater mussel research and propagation, which was of economic importance to the region at the time. In 1929 the station became a fish hatchery and during the late 1960's the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife spent more than $200,000 renovating and modernizing it. In 1973, the bureau suffered from severe budget cuts and the federal farm pond stocking program was abolished. As a result, operation of the Fairport Fish Hatchery was turned over to the Department of Natural Resources. It was an opportunity to add - without cost to Iowa anglers - an excellent, well-managed hatchery to the system.

Fairport Fish Hatchery Duties The Fairport Fish Hatchery is a warmwater extensive culture station located on the Mississippi River near Muscatine. Eighteen ponds are used to hatch and rear warm-water angling favorites such as largemouth bass and bluegill. Adult fish such as largemouth bass are kept at the hatchery year-around. These fish are referred to as brood stock and are annually placed in ponds for spawning. When the ponds are drained the fish are gathered and transferred to the holding house for sorting prior to transporting them to lakes. In addition to largemouth bass and bluegill the facility annually produces walleyes and white amur for use throughout the state. In addition, the hatchery is responsible for the statewide farm pond stocking program.