DECORAH – The Chuck Gipp Decorah Fish Hatchery is a popular tourist destination in northeast Iowa, the Iowa DNR says. The picturesque limestone office and residence date back to the 1930s as a project of the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Built in 1935, the hatchery first raised smallmouth bass. Over the years, fish production slowly changed from mainly smallmouth bass and northern pike to trout.
The fish hatchery is open to the public 365 days a year from sunrise to sunset. Informational plaques along the entrance of the hatchery and in the trout raceway areas detail what you are seeing.
Visitors of all ages will have fun exploring the Chuck Gipp Decorah Hatchery:
– Easy access to the raceways makes this a popular stop to see trout of various sizes. Don’t forget your quarters to buy a handful of feed to lure fish to the surface for a closer look.
– Siewers Spring, Iowa’s second largest natural spring, is the perfect place for a picnic, relaxing in the shade or fishing for trout.
– Decorah’s most famous residents, the eagles, are frequent visitors to the hatchery. A short walk on the Trout Run Trail leads you to a spot where you can see the world-famous eagle nest.
– The hatchery is a great place to start your journey on the 11-mile Trout Run Trail that winds through historic and picturesque Decorah and the surrounding area. A shelter with picnic tables, drinking fountain and flush toilets is open year-round.
– Trout Run is the most handicapped accessible trout stream in Iowa.
– Trout Run and the hatchery are great places to watch the migration of songbirds in the spring and early summer.