The Oconto River Watershed Chapter was started in 1983, by Mitch Bent of the Green Bay Chapter, as a result of a fly tying class. Richard Laycock was the first President. He was followed by Dale Halla.
The Chapter began planting trout in our river system the following year. These trout were purchased from the Silver Moon Hatchery in Elton, WIsconsin. In 1988 the Chapter was able to purchase a small barn in which three large tanks were placed for the rearing of domestic fry, which were then planted in the fall at a size of 5 - 6 inches.
Since that time, we have worked in cooperation with the DNR and have been able to collect eggs from native brood stock and use our facility for raising native trout from eggs, hatching up to 30,000 fry per year. For the last 8 years, our hatchery has worked in conjunction with the hatchery built by the Suring Sportsmans Club, allowing us to expand the numbers of trout planted in the Oconto River System each year.
The onset of VHS has led to curtailment of the use of our hatchery for native trout. However, this next year the DNR has again given us permission to utilize our facility by raising domestic trout from their hatchery. These fish will be held for a year before placing them in the streams in Northeastern Wisconsin. Since our section of the river is not suitable for spawning trout, this is our way of keeping a viable population in the Oconto River system.
Dave Brunner
President, Oconto River Watershed Chapter