Fish Hotel Kit

Illustration by Justin Sipiorski

The Fish Hotel Kit contains a variety of instructional materials designed to help children and adults alike learn about the benefits of leaving trees in lakes. Trees in lakes not only provide areas for fish to spawn, but also offer shelter to help some species protect their incubating brood. Large submerged trees can host entire fish communities!

The Fish Hotels Kit includes:

Fish Hotel, fiction - Full-color, 30 page hardcover picture book *
Fish Hotels, non-fiction (20 student copies) - Full-color, 20 page companion booklet *
Fish Cards - Color photos of 19 Wisconsin fish
Fish Hotel Lesson Plans
Fish Hotel Poster
A Second Life for Trees Poster
How to Help Fish & Wildlife Poster
Video links to short videos of real fish swimming through swimming though fallen trees
Video link of Fish Hotel (picture book) being read.
Educator Resources:
- A Second Life for Trees in Lakes
- Impervious Surfaces: How They Impact Fish, Wildlife and Waterfront Property Values
- Water's Edge
- Field Journal
- Wisconsin Wildcards - Fish**

* The books marked by an asterisk are tailored to the Wisconsin standards for science for grades 3-5 (Standards SCILS1 and SCI.LS2), but have been used with a wide variety of audiences including camps and special education classrooms.

** Wisconsin Fish Wildcards are provided by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Fish Hotel Kits are provided by the Center for Land Use Education and the University of Wisconsin-Division of Extension.

Fish Hotel Kit Presentations & Video Links

Shorelines PowerPoint Presentation

Learn how to identify healthy shorelines for fish and what you can do to help.

Shorelines PowerPoint Presentation

Fish Hotel: Children's Picture Book Reading

Listen to Fish Hotel as you view the story of Tessa and her cousin Hugo learning how fish benefit by leaving trees in water.

Fish Hotel Reading: link to stream file

Fish Hotels PowerPoint Presentation

Describes what fish hotels are, and the simple steps we can take to provide fish with what they need. Contains a diverse set of shoreline photos with the question “Could you survive as a fish here?” to prompt class discussions.

Fish Hotel Power Point Presentation

Engbretson fish video links:

Three short recorded live videos are available by Engbretson Underwater Photography. Links are contained in a PowerPoint slide and in a printable document.

PowerPoint slide Printable pdf file

Lake Lucerne Fish Stick (Fish Hotel) Project

During the 2021 winter, over 40 fish sticks were created along the Lake Lucerne southern shorelines by Lake Lucerne Advancement Association. Read about the project and view photos of the fish stick building from start to finish.

Lake Lucerne Fish Stick Projcet Summary - March 2021

Fish Sticks: Improving Lake Habitat

The Wisconsin DNR website, Fish Sticks: Improving Lake Habitat, explains how these projects improve lake habitat and how to get involved.

Impervious Surfaces: PowerPoint Presentation

Explains how runoff from impervious (hard) surfaces lead to decreased fish populations in lakes and streams. For example, more nutrients from runoff result in less oxygen in the water; more sediments cover spawning beds of fish; and warmer water can eliminate cold water fish like trout, northern pike and walleye.

Impervious Surfaces PowerPoint

Impacts of Impervious Surfaces on Fish, Wildlife, and Waterfront Property Values - Video

The Magic Goggles: Discovering the Secrets of the Lake

A complimentary book to Fish Hotel. Magic Goggles explains why trees are important around lakes and in the water. Go on an adventure with Maggie and her little brother Tate at their grandparents’ lake cabin. They discover two pairs of really weird, old goggles with leather straps in a dusty old trunk in the attic. Down at the lake with their goggles, the kids make magical discoveries.

Purchase The Magic Goggles children's book.

Magic Goggles Picture Book Reading

Listen to The Magic Goggles as you view the story of Maggie and her little brother Tate as they explore the lake making new discoveries with their magic goggles.