If you can't make it to the State Fair this year, or if you just saw the DNR fish pond at the fair and want to check in on the little swimmers, check out the DNR Fish Cam from any computer or mobile device. In its 8th annual appearance, the DNR fish cam is back at the 2018 Minnesota State Fair. 

In 2010, avid angler and MNIT staff member supporting the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Betsey Cotone thought, “If we can live stream an eagles nest, we should be able to do the same thing with fish.” This thought became reality in 2010, when the MNIT team at DNR installed the first live feed in the fish pond at the Minnesota State Fair.  While livestreaming fish underwater sounds straightforward, the reality is there are far more technical details that need to be considered. The MNIT crew needed to develop some creative solutions for the camera, location, network, and whether it can go “fin to fin” with a huge 30-year-old sturgeon. All of these factors impact what you see on your screen when watching the live feed on your computer or mobile device.

Camera, Location, Action

With virtually no budget and a potentially big idea, MNIT’s Jed Becher began searching for a reliable and low-cost solution. After a bit of searching, it was identified that an ice fishing camera from Marcum Technologies would met all of the requirements Jed was looking for.  In keeping up with the ever-improving quality of HD video, the crew switched to a high definition (HD) camera in 2014. This original HD camera posed its own problem as it was not waterproof.  The solution? The camera was “dipped” in a rubberized coating material often used in the creation of tool handles. The camera was also USB based so a USB extender also needed to be used.

Streaming Content

Streaming 40 species of Minnesota’s diverse fish population is a great way to educate and entertain Minnesotans, and it is even better if the live footage is readily available to the public.  Connecting the new fish camera to a live feed online opened a whole new can of tech worms, from wiring the camera to the bandwidth of the network.

Running 200 feet of custom cable to the camera through an old winding water supply pipe was no easy task for the team. Thankfully they are resourceful, and used a boat keychain to float a fish line down the 200-foot cable down the winding pipe from the DNR building to the pond. A rope was then pulled up the tube and finally the video cable.

The Fish Cam has come a long way since its inception in 2010. The advancement in technology and equipment has resulted in a higher quality feed, which benefits both those watching both at the state fair and online.

Watch live video of the 45 species of fish streaming now on the DNR website. Now clearer than ever!