St. Marys
Fish Hatchery
Fish Hatchery
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Fish Hatchery |
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| LOCATION and DIRECTIONS |
Grand Lake St. Marys Fish Hatchery is located at the east end of Grand Lake St. Marys, about 65 miles north-northwest of Dayton. From the intersection of I-75 and US 35 in downtown Dayton, take I-75 north 40.6 miles to SR 29 near Sidney, then left (northwest) on SR 29 for 16 miles to SR 219. Turn left (west) onto SR 219 and go 6.2 miles to SR 364. Turn right (north) onto SR 364 and go 2.2 miles to Feeder 120 Road, turn right (east) and go 0.1 Miles to the Fish Hatchery entrance on the left side. |
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| AREA DESCRIPTION AND HABITAT |
The primary birding spot in the Grand Lake St. Marys area is around the State Fish Farm ponds, located at the east end of the lake. The ponds are often drained during late summer or fall, which provides mudflats for migrating shorebirds. In addition, geese, ducks, gulls, and terns all find the area attractive. There is a system of gravel roadways throughout the farm which allows close approaches to many of the ponds. There are several good areas to bird around the lake, including the Mercer County Waterfowl Refuge at the southwest corner of the lake, as well as the lake surface itself. For more details, see "Birding in Ohio", 2nd Edition, by Tom Thomson. |
| SPECIES FOUND |
Over the years, virtually every regularly occurring shorebird in Ohio has been found at Grand Lake St. Marys, sometimes in large numbers. The number and species present depends on the status of the ponds, ie., whether any of them have been drained during migration. The facility underwent a major overhaul during the mid-1990's, but is now back in operation. Many rare waterbirds and shorebirds have been found at the Fish Farm, including Piping Plover, American Avocet, Upland Sandpiper, Hudsonian Godwit, Purple Sandpiper, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Franklin's Gull, and Iceland and Glaucous Gulls. Migrating falcons are occasionally found hunting the shorebirds and swallows, and sometimes occur in good numbers during fall migration. |
| FACILITIES and OTHER INFORMATION |
There are no public facilities at the Fish Hatchery, but Grand Lake St. Marys State Park is located directly across the road (SR 364) to the west. The state park includes 13,500-acre Grand Lake St. Marys, and 500 acres of land surrounding the lake. The lake provides boating, swimming, and fishing; and winter recreation in the park includes snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and ice fishing. Picnic facilities in the park along the east shore of the lake include tables, grills, and shelters. Modern restrooms and drinking water are available in warm weather. Outhouses with pit latrines are available in winter. The park has a campground with 216 sites, of which 135 are equipped with electricity. |