The Northeast Fishery Center (Center), located in Lamar, PA includes the Lamar Fish Health Center and the Lamar National Fish Hatchery and Fish Technology Center. We help guide and conduct the science and technology needed to restore and conserve species and their habitats. Our research helps managers make decisions that build sustainable fisheries, recover species, prevent the spread of invasive species, and maintain healthy ecosystems across the Great Lakes to the Atlantic coast, and into the Ohio and Tennessee River basins.

About Us

At the Northeast Fishery Center we provide expertise in population genetics, genomics, and eDNA technology, fish ecology and population dynamics, fish culture technology, fish health, freshwater mussel health, and experimental design and statistical analyses.

What We Do

The Northeast Fishery Center conducts research and develops recommendations that help federal, state, and tribal agencies build healthy populations of fish and aquatic ecosystems, and prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species invasive species
An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.

Learn more about invasive species .

Our Organization

A man is fishing in a boat with three young girls. The kids are excitedly pulling a fish out of the water.
The Fish and Aquatic Conservation programs work together to deliver resilient habitats, healthy fish, connected people, and strong partnerships. From habitat restoration to aquatic invasive species prevention, captive breeding to population assessment and monitoring, our programs are driven by the...
Program
Falls Church,VA
A person is walks through a large wide culvert that passes under a gravel road. A small river runs through the culvert.
Across the country, millions of barriers are fragmenting rivers, blocking fish migration, and putting communities at higher risk to flooding. Removing those barriers is one of the most effective ways to help conserve vulnerable species while building safer infrastructure for people. The National...
Program
Orange fish eggs on a white background.
The National Fish Hatchery System raises millions of fish and aquatic wildlife to improve sustainable recreational fishing, support fisheries that have been impacted by a federal dam, recover federally listed threatened or endangered species, fulfill our Tribal Trust responsibilities, and prevent...
Program
A fish with a reddish tone body with black spots on upper part of body, this side view of a Chinook salmon shows the salmon swimming right above a gravel riverbed.
Healthy fisheries are core to the conservation work of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We are working with partners to protect and enhance the health of fish and other aquatic animals in aquaculture and in the wild.
Program
Bozeman,MT

Projects and Research

We use science and innovative technology to evaluate the status and trends of aquatic species, to evaluate the health of wild and hatchery fish, and to fill gaps in our knowledge needed to manage sustainable populations of fish and other aquatic species. 

Latest News

Staff member uses PCR to process eDNA samples
Wildlife Management
You can swim, but you can’t hide
Scientists can detect invasive fish in the Great Lakes by identifying their DNA in the water.
a tiny striped fish laying on a hand
Our Partners
Proactive conservation supports species at risk
By working on declining species early, we have the best chance to help them before they need the regulatory protections of the Endangered Species Act.
A biologist holds a male bloater fish
Great Lakes funding gives a boost to fish isolation facility
We at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service know that in order to positively impact fish populations in the Great Lakes, we need special isolation infrastructure and know-how from a dedicated crew of biologists. Take a moment to learn how staff at the Northeast Fishery Center in Lamar, Pennsylvania...
A large gray fish, with a flat head and rounded snout that has long barbels hanging from its nose, rests on a rocky lake bottom.
Wildlife Management
“Tails” from the deep
In the Great Lakes, lake sturgeon have become as rare as a mythical lake monster. Learn how we're monitoring their populations in Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.
Kid kneeling in front of a tackle box with fishing lures inside
For Parents and Educators
Fun and FREE Fishing Events Near You!
Ready to get out and do something fun? The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a ton of fishing and fishing related events that we’re so excited to share with you.  BUT it’s hard to list them all so we’re giving you a sample of just a few of our events from around the U.S.
A wet area of ground in the forest
Endangered Species Act
The amphipod who wasn't there
Using eDNA, biologists find traces of a tiny, endangered crustacean that has remained elusive since it was discovered in Washington D.C. in 1938
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Location and Contact Information