Learn about Missouri’s warm-water hatcheries on a hatchery tour this summer

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Missouri hatcheries not only support our state’s great fishing, but they’re also fascinating places to visit. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has four hatcheries that produce warm-water fish.  Blind Pony Hatchery near Sweet Springs is known for producing paddlefish, which are used to maintain populations in the Lake of the Ozarks, Harry S. Truman Reservoir, and Table Rock Lake. This summer, MDC invites the public to tour Blind Pony Hatchery each Tuesday from now until the end of August.

These free hatchery tours are open to all ages, and no registration is required. Interested parties are invited to meet at the hatchery office by 10 a.m. each Tuesday for a guided tour through the hatchery property. After the tour, guests are encouraged to explore the greater Blind Pony Lake Conservation Area (CA). This CA is lake-oriented and boasts 2,246 acres.

For more information about these tours, contact the Blind Pony Hatchery office at (660) 335-4531. The hatchery office is located at 16285 BP Hatchery Drive in Sweet Springs.