The NYS DEC Oneida Fish Hatchery, located in the Village of Constantia on the north shore of Oneida Lake, is one of the most important fish hatcheries in New York State — and it owes its existence largely to the remarkable productivity of Oneida Lake itself.

The current facility was completed in 1993 following a full reconstruction, and includes modern rearing facilities, a research lab, and a visitors center. Its primary mission is the production of walleye — and Oneida Lake is the engine that drives that work. Each spring, hatchery staff collect an average of 350 million walleye eggs from adult fish netted on the lake. The fish are transported to the hatchery by boat, spawned carefully by hand, and then returned to the lake unharmed. The fertilized eggs are incubated in flow-through hatching jars until they develop into fry.

The walleye raised at the Constantia hatchery are distributed widely across New York State, supporting fisheries well beyond Oneida Lake. The program has contributed to the restoration of self-sustaining walleye populations in 33 waters, the introduction of walleye into 21 new waters, and increased walleye abundance in 89 existing fisheries. Oneida Lake itself receives approximately 150 million walleye fry annually. The hatchery also produces the statewide supply of tiger muskellunge.