Wolf Lake Hatchery announces Fish Festival:

Michigan Department of Natural Resources officials today announced the
third annual Fish Festival will be held July 13-14 at the Wolf Lake
State Fish Hatchery and Visitor Center in Kalamazoo.

The Festival, which draws families and fishing enthusiasts throughout
Michigan, is designed to showcase the hatchery's functions and the six
species of fish raised there. Activities, including games, activities
and music, are geared toward fish enthusiasts of all ages.

Admission is free. The festival runs from noon to 5 p.m. both days.
This year's theme is "Habitat Preservation = Fish for the Future."
Guided tours of the hatchery will be provided in English and Spanish to
show visitors how Wolf Lake Hatchery, founded in 1927, raises nearly
120,000 pounds of steelhead, lake sturgeon, muskellunge, pike, Chinook
salmon and walleye every year. Visitors will learn about methods used to
improve watersheds and fishing opportunities throughout Michigan.

On Saturday, there will be live music and a DNR fish shocking boat on
site. Sunday's festivities will by highlighted by a visit from the
Kalamazoo Nature Center's "Loon Lady," who will explain the important
role played by loons and other aquatic birds in the food chain. Youth
anglers, age 5-16 years, can learn to tie fishing knots, cast, bait a
hook, and they will be allowed to try fishing for the giant steelhead in
the hatchery's half-acre display pond.

The Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery and Visitor Center is located on
M-43, six miles west of US-131. The visitor center, which is a
cooperative effort between the DNR Fisheries Division and the Kalamazoo
Nature Center, is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10
a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. It sees more than 26,000 visitors annually.
Admission is free and guided tours are provided. Call 616-668-2876 for
more information or visit www.naturecenter.org.

The Kalamazoo Nature Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to
inspiring people to care about the environment by providing experiences
that lead them to understand their connection to the natural world. For
more information, call 616-381-1574 or visit the Nature Center Web
site.

Source: MDNR