Fish are connected to the people of the Great Lakes, and the region’s cultural and environmental heritage reflects that relationship. At Oden State Fish Hatchery, people can explore their connections to fish, streams, lakes, and the Great Lakes. A fish hatchery produces young fish from eggs for release into rivers, lakes, and streams. In the early 1900s, hatcheries were the main technique used by fisheries biologists to rehabilitate disappearing Great Lakes and inland fish populations. Today, hatcheries are one of many techniques that fisheries managers use to rehabilitate fish communities, and communities throughout Michigan are connected to the Great Lakes by the ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams that flow through them.