Hinckley Area Fisheries Office

The Hinckley Area Fisheries Office manages four constructed, drainable rearing ponds. Three of the muskellunge ponds are located in Hinckley, and one of the ponds is located in St. Croix State Park, east of Hinckley.

Stocking truck

Muskellunge rearing pond in St. Croix State Park

Muskellunge reared by the Hinckley Area Fisheries Office are delivered from a hatchery and stocked into rearing ponds during mid-June. Muskellunge are fed live minnows during the rearing process and often reach average lengths of 11 to 14 inches at the time of harvest from the rearing ponds in mid-October.

Harvesting muskellunge with a seine net from a Hinckley rearing pond

On average, a total of 6,000 muskellunge are raised by the Hinckley Area Fisheries Office annually. This is approximately 25 to 30% of the Minnesota's total muskellunge production and stocking each year.

Loading a stocking truck with muskellunge

Harvesting walleye from a rearing pond

The Hinckley Area Fisheries Office manages 9 to 18 natural rearing ponds that are used to raise walleye fingerlings. Walleye ponds are located throughout the Hinckley Area Fisheries management area.

Walleye fry prior to stocking into a natural rearing pond in spring

Walleye reared by the Hinckley Area Fisheries Office are delivered from a hatchery as fry and stocked into rearing ponds during April. See a high resolution image of walleye fry.

Walleye fingerlings stocked into West Rush Lake, Chisago County

Walleye fry feed on natural food such as insects and live minnows during the rearing process and grow to become fingerlings that reach average lengths of 4 to 8 inches at the time of harvest from the rearing ponds in September. The number of walleye raised in the Hinckley Area management area each year is largely dependent on weather conditions. Fingerlings are harvested in the fall and then stocked into area lakes.