Many of the brook trout and splake that end up in lakes in and around the Boundary Waters come from fish hatcheries in southeastern Minnesota.

Joe from the P&P Podcast recently toured the Peterson State Fish Hatchery, which is managed by the Minnesota DNR. The hatchery is located near the Root River and the popular tourist town of Lanesboro.

Assistant Fisheries Supervisor Ryan Wierzba led us on the tour. Among other things, we discuss how splake are made and how they end up in the lakes in and around the BWCA.

What is a splake? It’s a lake trout and brook trout hybrid. And they’re damn tasty, many anglers agree.

This episode is supported by Sawbill Canoe Outfitters and Borderland Lodge.

Check out the video tour of the hatchery in the video below.