Rushing Waters Fisheries (N301 County Road H, Palmyra), nestled in the rolling hills of the Kettle Moraine, is a natural, chemical-free fishery offering the unique opportunity for visitors to catch their own fish and have them prepared to eat on site.
Visitors arrive at Rushing Waters through the retail store that sells their rainbow trout, as well as craft beers, wine, cheeses and spreads—most made by Wisconsin companies. The fish processing area has large windows where visitors can watch the fish being cleaned. Scraps are turned into other products like dog treats, also available for purchase at the store.
For those who wish to fish on site, Rushing Waters supplies all fishing gear. (Customers cannot bring their own due to possible cross-contamination–Rushing Waters is certified disease-free.) No fishing license is required and there are no limits on the amount of fish caught, but whatever is caught has to be kept and purchased.
For those who want their fish cleaned and cooked on site, there’s the Hook & Cook package. Visitors can bring their bucket of freshly caught fish to the processing area and enjoy a drink at the adjoining Trout House restaurant while their fish is being prepared. The Trout House menu also offers steak, chicken, burgers and a Sunday brunch.
Rushing Waters President and Co-Owner Peter Fritsch said the 80-acre parcel was a fur farm during the 1930s, and original owner Steve Johnston raised trout to feed the foxes. World War II disrupted the fur trade and Johnston sold his foxes, but he still had the fish, which he decided to sell at Navy Pier. Chicago residents were not used to freshly caught fish, since most seafood came into the city via rail from the East Coast. A Chicago chef became a regular customer, thus building the foundation of the fishery.
Many of the raceways and 56 ponds on the property were built in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1994, Madison entrepreneur Bill Graham purchased the farm. A visionary who loves good food, he hired Fritsch, who holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and limnology/fisheries from UW-Stevens Point, in 1997. Fritsch was promoted to manager in 1999 and became a co-owner in 2005.
“Our goal is not to raise as many trout as possible, but to raise the best trout,” Fritsch said. The hatchery is on site, and the fish never leave the property until they’re harvested. The fishery went chemical free in 1998. The ponds and raceways have a natural ecosystem where the fish swim in artesian water and surface springs kept at 49 degrees. Weeds and algae clean the water and provide nutrients. No antibiotics are used, and the fish eat a special high-protein diet.
Fritsch strives to educate people about Rushing Waters’ natural aquaculture methods and to dispel misconceptions about fish farms. He offers tours for individuals, groups and schools and encourages people to visit the farm. They hold cooking demonstrations and can accommodate events, parties and weddings for up to 200 people (or more with outdoor tents).
Rushing Waters sells to restaurants in Milwaukee and Madison, and their trout is available at the Wauwatosa, Waukesha, Brookfield, South Shore and Shorewood farmers markets. Outpost Natural Foods, Pick ’n Save and Whole Foods carry their trout.
For more information about Rushing Waters visit rushingwaters.net.
