This event depends on weather and ice conditions.
You can expect to see roughly 400 area youth ages 5-12, and their parents as they enjoy a short seminar on ice safety tips and ice fishing techniques. Then, they will be set loose on a hatchery pond stocked with 2,000 10-14 inch rainbow trout to test their newfound ice fishing knowledge.
This is an annual event sponsored by the Friends of the Upper Mississippi and hosted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). These local USFWS fishery offices are the La Crosse Fish Health Center, the La Crosse National Fish and Conservation Office and the Genoa National Fish Hatchery. There are 3 USFWS fishery offices in the La Crosse area, due to its proximity to the Mississippi River, and the diverse fishery populations and habitats that the big river holds.
