On your way to the Dale Hollow Dam, you will pass the Dale Hollow National Fish Hatchery. The hatchery was established to mitigate fishery resources that were lost due to large-scale construction of many federal water development projects in the Southeast United States. The Hatchery is responsible for stocking rainbow, brown, lake, and brook trout in over a dozen different water reservoirs in middle and east Tennessee and even parts of Alabama and Georgia.
The hatchery grows millions of catchable-size trout every year, but also dedicates conservation efforts for a number of imperiled, freshwater, non-game fishes, and mussels. Stop by the Hatchery Aquarium and talk with fish biologist, Thomas Reeves, or schedule a hatchery tour to learn more about some of the fish native to Tennessee and other critters that inhabit the rivers and lakes of the region. There is a public fishing area just below the hatchery that they release trout from weekly and is a great place to have a picnic or cast a line.
