The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC), joined by local, state, and federal dignitaries, celebrated the completion of a $16 million renovation of the Joe Hogan State Fish Hatchery- the largest public warmwater fish hatchery of its kind in the United States.
The nearly century-old hatchery, located in Lonoke, plays a foundational role in supporting Arkansas’s fisheries. The facility was originally constructed in 1928 on a 266-acre rice farm, with early ponds dug by mules and shovels. Since then, it has evolved into a national leader in fish production, pioneering techniques in catfish propagation and Florida bass stocking.
“The Joe Hogan Hatchery is not just a facility; it’s a living testament to Arkansas’s commitment to robust fisheries,” said AGFC Chairman Anne Marie Doramus…