Michigan is sometimes known as the Great Lakes State, and it’s not hard to imagine why. It borders four of the five Great Lakes, and benefits from those natural resources to this day. Much of the state's early economy depended on the lakes for logging and fishing, the latter of which is still a big industry bringing in roughly $9.3 million between commercial and native fisheries in 2018.

One of the coolest visitor centers in Michigan gives guests a complete picture of the relationship between Michigan and its waters at the Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery Visitor Center. Watch these lessons come to life through their exhibits, and maybe you’ll even catch a fish or two. Here are some of the reasons to put this destination in your plans.

Learn the history behind fishing in Michigan.

You’ll find this visitor center in Mattawan, Michigan and it includes a full exhibition hall to catch you up to speed on the importance of fishing in Michigan. From interactive exhibits on transporting fish to historical footage of replenishing the state’s lakes and streams, these exhibits not only show you Michigan’s history with fishing but also its current role in the industry.

Get up close and personal with native fish species.

Their show pond is stocked with a variety of fish that are native to Michigan, as well as several that have been introduced to these waters through fish hatchery programs. Guests can even get a free cup of fish food to persuade them to swim a little closer. This is one of the few features that are accessible year-round, allowing visitors a chance to see chinook salmon, steelhead trout, northern pike, northern muskellunge, walleye, largemouth bass, a variety of other sunfish, and lake sturgeon.

Their aquarium gives you an underwater view of the fish.

This is another way to get up close and personal with some of the fish you’ll learn about. It’s a much easier way to spot the elusive prehistoric lake sturgeon. This is also where you can watch the live stream of the show pond for another cool view of the fish.

Fish stocking (and no, these aren’t aquatic-themed socks):

Fish stocking is the process of replenishing Michigan’s lakes and streams to offset the impact of the fishing industry. The visitor center gives a great explanation of how they start the life cycle here before stocking the younger fish into rivers so they eventually make it out to one of the Great Lakes. These will head to Lake Michigan to grow to maturity for a few years before coming back upstream to give birth to the next generation.

Invasive species education:

Not all fish are welcome in the Great Lakes, including the sea lamprey. This invasive species is one of the fish you can see in the aquarium. It’s an example of one of the destructive byproducts of the fishing industry when non-native species hitch a ride on commercial fishing boats. Its ability to reproduce quickly without any natural predators can devastate fish populations.

Life comes full circle for these fish.

Fish hatcheries play an important role in facilitating a life cycle that comes naturally to the fish in Michigan. Because of this, they’re able to study and explain how these fish develop and mature from eggs to parents. Due to the vast size of the Great Lakes, many fish native to the Pacific Northwest do well in Michigan as it replicates the journey to the ocean and back for salmon and trout.

Make sure you visit the Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery Visitor Center website for a complete list of hours, as everything besides the park trails and the show pond has seasonal availability. Next time you take a bite of a juicy perch sandwich or eat a locally caught salmon fillet, you can thank hatcheries like this for keeping the cycle going.

This is the perfect stop on any road trip up the east coast of Lake Michigan, so make sure you have everything you need to make it an ultimate road trip.