Save Our Native Species Inc.
S.O.N.S. of Lake Erie Fishing Club
(A501C (3) not for profit organization)

Home

S.O.N.S Fish Hatchery

I
n 1885 the Pennsylvania Commission obtained a legislative appropriation to build a fish hatchery in Erie, Pennsylvania. The hatchery was located at West 2nd and Sassafras St. This hatchery produced fish until 1914 when a larger facility was constructed on the Erie Waterworks property at the foot of Chestnut St. in Erie. It was closed in the early 1960's. During its' operation this facility hatched millions of eggs from Lake Erie native fish. Most of these fish were placed back into the lake while others were traded with other states for other eggs.

The SONS have always felt that closing the Erie hatchery was a major blow to the Lake Erie fishery and decided that it was time to restore a hatchery in Erie. In 1985 thanks to the efforts of Rep. Bernard Dombrowski two grants were obtained from the Pennsylvania State legislature to the Erie Western Pennsylvania Port Authority a new hatchery was to be built and operated by the SONS.

The SONS joined the Cooperative Nursery program sponsored by the PFBC and initially established a hatching facility in a 50' trailer on the Water Department property at the foot of Chestnut. This facility was affectionately called Walleye on Wheels by the SONS members. 700,000 walleye eggs were obtained from the PFBC Linesville, PA facility and were successfully hatched and stocked in Presque Isle Bay. The following year a new hatchery building was constructed on the northwest corner of the Water Dept. Property.

Since1985 the SONS hatchery has produced millions of walleye,  perch, brown trout and steelhead hatchlings.

Schedule
Join
Newsletter
S.O.N.S. Stuff
Links
Photo Gallery
News


Old Hatchery History

Contact Information:
 President
Jerry Skrypzak

Vice President
Ed Kissell

Secretary
Don Tombaugh

Treasurer
John Krupinski


Mail: PO Box 3605
Erie, Pennsylvania 16508

Phone/Fax: 814-453-2270
Email:
sonslakeri@aol.com

 

Click here for a history of Erie's early hatchery operations

Click on thumbnails below for larger photos of the S.O.N.S. Hatchery

HATCHERY HAPPENINGS 2018- 2019

HATCHERY HAPPENINGS 2019-2020

HATCHERY HAPPENINGS 2020-2021

HATCHERY HAPPENINGS  2021-2022

HATCHERY HAPPENINGS 2022-2023

 

S.O.N.S. of Lake Erie Fish Hatchery

Hatchery Open House

Fish Stocking

Hatchery

Adopt a Stream Habitat Education Handicap Access Safety Adopt a Park