The Bluewater Anglers have been in the fish raising business since 1982 with the introduction of rainbow trout into a two tank training facility at the Lambton County Water Supply facility located at the head of the St. Clair River. Several years later the anglers built an indoor facility for the annual rearing of 150,000 Chinook Salmon and 25,000 Rainbow Trout, with the occasional foreaye into Brown Trout.
The hatchery is located immediately north of the Bluewater Bridge. Two wells inside the building provide a safe, 52 F water supply. The rearing season begins in September with the collection of Salmon eggs at Owen Sound. At the same time Rainbow Trout eggs are purchased for the hatchery. Hatchout of the eggs is complete by December and feeding begins in earnest in the new year. The 3" Salmon are ready for stockout by mid April. The fish are transported to the upper waters of local Lake Huron streams for subsequent migration to Lake Huron where they live out their 4 year cycle.
The Rainbows stay in the hatchery until mid to late May and grow quickly to a 7" size. They are stocked within Sarnia city limits. Salmon, Rainbows and Browns are kept in an outside pond to grow to adult size for spectacular fish viewing. They are always eager to jump for food from the vending machines located on site. Don't miss this treat if you are in the Bluewater Bridge area.
We are always eager to show our facilities to interested parties. It is our belief that the education is the best way to preserve this great program and support our amazing fishery in the great lakes. If you are interested in booking a tour of our facilities and learning all about the life cycle of these fish please contact us.
Dennis Mather 519 332 5809 matherd@cogeco.ca
We invite everyone to come and feed the fish in our public outdoor pond. The pond is located on the north side of the hatchery building and is just a one minute walk from the playground and fry trucks under the Bluewater Bridge. Bring your kids and bring your quarters and help feed the dozens of chinook salmon, rainbow and brown trout that inhabit our pond. Children love to throw feed pellets into the water and watch as several fish surface and even jump for the food. These fish are always hungry so there is never a bad time to pay them a visit. Just remember to bring your quarters for the food vending machines. Although they will eat lots of things we ask that you keep to the feed pellets as anything else can be harmful. The pond is monitored 24hrs a day by surveillance cameras to keep our fish safe.
All proceeds gained by the vending machines go to the direct operation of the fish culture station.
