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If you’re looking for a break from the noise and crowds at the Minnesota State Fair, DNR fishery supervisor T.J. DeBates recommends a stop at the fish pond. 

“It's really relaxing,” DeBates said. “This is almost like a little happy zone, kind of a calm zone.” 

It wasn’t quite so calm on Tuesday, when the DNR brought in hundreds of native fish to stock its pond. It’s an annual tradition: staff load fish tanks onto pickup trucks and drive them to the fairgrounds. Then, one by one, staff heave the fish into nets and down into the pond, where they’ll spend the next 12 days. 

The pond includes up to a thousand fish, representing about 40 species. It’s a rare chance to see some that are hard to spot in the wild, like the 

DeBates said he looks forward to the fair. 

“It's a great way to connect with anglers, connect with fairgoers, show them all the cool fish that we have in Minnesota that they can actually go out and fish,” DeBates said. 

The pond has been a fair fixture for 120 years. Some of the longest-living fish are decades old, returning to the fair year after year. Some fish, though, don’t make it more than a year at the fair; with bigger predators in the pond, some smaller fish end up as prey.

 in a DNR pond near the department’s offices. They’re kept separate from wild fish to prevent the spread of any diseases.

DNR staff will be on site giving informational talks every few hours during the fair.

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Estelle Timar-Wilcox

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Some fish don’t make it more than a year at the fair; with bigger predators in the pond, some smaller fish end up as prey.

Minnesota DNR fisheries staff to stock State Fair fish pond

Hundreds of native fish arrive at the State Fair pond

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