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By MARK CONSTANCE
GRAYLING — The Grayling Fish Hatchery is scheduled to open this weekend.
The hatchery, located at 4890 North Down River Road, is open every Friday-Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It remains open through Labor Day.
The Grayling Fish Hatchery has been part of the Grayling community for more than 100 years. It was established in 1919 by Rasmus Hanson and several fellow sportsmen, including Henry and Edsel Ford. Their goal was to reintroduce grayling to local waters.
Many of the fish did not survive, and production later shifted to raising brook, brown and rainbow trout, the Au Sable River varieties that continue to thrive today.
The hatchery operated under private ownership until the state of Michigan bought the facility in 1926. Since then, the hatchery has changed ownership several times. It passed from the Department of Natural Resources to commercial fish producers and finally to Grayling Hatchery Inc. in 2017.
According to graylinghatchery.com, the goal is to establish and maintain the hatchery as a hub of learning and discovery. The organization aims to teach guests about the history, ecology and conservation of the Au Sable River for generations to come.
The hatchery also has several improvement projects underway to strengthen its community outreach and education efforts. Projects include 30 additional informational and educational signs, a new visitors center, bridges over some of the raceways and a native wildflower garden.
One of the features of the hatchery is the Kids Bluegill Pond. So bring the family out for a visit.
For more information, visit graylingfishhatchery.org or call 989-344-1100.
