Eggs today, trout and salmon tomorrow: Fall and winter egg collections wrapping up at DNR facilities

In all, fisheries staff collected more than 16 million trout and salmon eggs this season

The Department of Natural Resources stocks fish in Michigan waters every year, providing fishing opportunities and helping maintain healthy ecosystems. Where do the fish being stocked come from? It begins with collecting fish eggs, and the DNR has been working hard this fall gathering the necessary eggs to produce fish for stocking. Fall egg collections have been completed for wild Chinook and coho salmon and for captive broodstocks of brown, brook and lake trout. Egg collection for rainbow trout will soon begin.

Chinook salmon eggs were collected Sept. 29 through Oct. 8 at the Little Manistee River Weir. Eggs and milt (sperm) are gathered from fish during the annual salmon run. At the weir, salmon swim up a fish ladder and into holding ponds. From there, fish are brought into the facility, where eggs and milt are collected and the eggs are fertilized.

“We experienced another strong run of wild Chinook salmon this season,” said Aaron Switzer, DNR fish production manager. “The run at the Little Manistee was robust enough to provide for all of Michigan’s egg needs. We were also able to provide eggs to Indiana and Illinois state-owned fish hatcheries. Once hatched, reared and stocked, these Chinook salmon support and enhance the Lake Michigan salmon fishery.”

Coho salmon eggs were collected at the Platte River State Fish Hatchery Weir from Oct. 16 through Oct. 28.

“We collected nearly 6 million coho salmon eggs at the Platte River weir. This includes approximately 3 million eggs for Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin,” said Switzer. “All four states work together cooperatively each year to ensure Lake Michigan continues to receive Pacific salmon to supplement the fishery.”

In addition to egg collection from wild fish, captive broodstocks (fish kept at a hatchery to produce eggs and milt) provide many of the eggs that will become stocked fish: 880,000 Arctic grayling eggs; 333,500 brook trout eggs; 297,000 lake trout eggs; 2.6 million brown trout eggs and 1.5 million rainbow trout eggs. An additional 357,000 splake eggs (brook trout and lake trout hybrid) also will be collected to support Michigan’s fisheries management objectives.

At Oden State Fish Hatchery, egg collections for brown trout occurred through mid-October. Rainbow trout egg collections at Oden will begin in December and continue until mid-January. These captive egg collections will occur every one to two weeks over the season. Captive broodstock egg collections for brook and lake trout at Marquette State Fish Hatchery have already been completed, and Arctic grayling egg collection is planned for early spring 2026.

To learn more about Michigan’s state fish hatcheries or to plan a trip, visit Michigan.gov/Hatcheries.

Accompanying photos are available below for download. Caption information follows.

• Coho salmon eggs — Coho salmon eggs were collected at the Platte River State Fish Hatchery Weir from Oct. 16 to Oct. 28.
• Salmon — DNR staff show onlookers a salmon captured for egg collection.