Home»All Photographs»Family Photographs»Schmitt / Farhat / Martveli / Ward / Catanach Families»Picnic & Fish Hatchery May 06, 2008

On May 6, 2008, Elizabeth and her children, Emma & Evan, drove from their home in Minnesota down to her mother's home on West Lake Okoboji to visit with Diane and me.

We enjoyed a picnic on the grounds of the Fish Hatchery at Spirit Lake and toured the Fish Hatchery.

The Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery is a cool water station located in Dickinson County, IA. The facility collects, spawns, incubates, and raises walleye for use throughout the state. Each year between 60 and 70 million walleye fry are hatched at this facility. These fish may be stocked at two-day-old fry, transferred to other hatcheries, or stocked in natural lakes in the Spirit Lake area where they are collected in June using large seines. At that point these fish are usually five- to eight-inches long. The number of muskellunge produced is relatively minor when compared to the sheer numbers of walleyes produced; however, this facility serves as the sole source of Iowa's muskellunge. The fish are raised to nine- or ten-inches before being stocked throughout the state.

The full list of Galleries showing Diane and my visits during this mid-west swing are here: Schuurmans, Picnic & Fish Hatchery, Evan Ward’s Soccer Practice, Visit w/Elizabeth & Chris Ward, Visit with Vera Schmitt, Spencer, Iowa, Visit with Pam & Paul Martveli, and Amanda’s Confirmation.