Virginia
Charles City, VA 23030-2844
Plan Your Visit
The Virginia Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office is co-located with the Harrison Lake National Fish Hatchery.Harrison Lake National Fish Hatchery is a 444-acre facility of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service located in the quiet rural setting of Virginia's historic tidewater plantation country. Come visit us! You can enjoy hiking, birding, wildlife watching, and picnicking at the hatchery grounds.
We have a hike-walking trail that follows Herring Creek and travels up to the 99-acre Harrison Lake, where you can also enjoy boating (non-motorized) and fishing. Visit Virginia Fishing Regulations and Licenses for more information on fishing in Virginia.
Our trail takes you through a large loblolly pine forest, past wetlands, and Herring Creek all located on our property. The trail also passes several historic sites such as an old abandoned still from the 1960’s. If you look closely at the ground, you can see the remains of straight plow furrows that date back to when this area was once a cornfield in the 1800s. After the field was abandoned, the site was colonized by trees and has now developed into a mature forest. You may also find animal tracks in the loose soil, a turkey feather, mussel shells, or maybe a snake skin.
Insect repellent and protective clothing are suggested during warm weather due to the presence of biting insects and poison ivy.
The hatchery is also adjacent to the Virginia Capital Trail, a 52-mile biking/hiking trail connecting Williamsburg to Richmond, Virginia. We are near the mid-point, between trail miles 27 and 28.
Call 804-829-2421, or email rachel_mair@fws.gov to schedule a tour. We welcome schools, homeschoolers and youth groups for tours anytime.
Featured Species
Get Involved
Working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.
Work with Us
Our dedicated employees perform a wide range of jobs at national wildlife refuges and national fish hatcheries and with public, tribal and private partners.
We hope you’ll join us in advancing our mission of working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.
Services
Learn more about the projects and services that the Virginia Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office is working on.
About
The Virginia Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office works to protect, restore, and enhance migratory and inland resident fishes in the rivers of Virginia, and to prevent the spread of harmful invasive species. We also work with partners and landowners to restore aquatic connectivity, remove barriers to fish passage that are also safety hazards, and restore habitat for migratory and inland fishes, and other aquatic species. Most of our work focuses on restoring Atlantic sturgeon, American shad, alewife and blueback herring, Eastern brook trout and American eel, and freshwater mussels. However, all fish and wildlife benefit from the work we do.
