Unionid mussels are an important freshwater taxon that provides numerous ecological functions and services. However, due to a myriad of anthropogenic stressors, a number of historically plentiful populations have experienced declines. Some hope for recovery is being generated through recent investments in habitat restoration. Here we report on a newly developed mussel propagation program in the Niagara River basin in western New York state aimed at supporting such a recovery. Broodstock of two species (Fatmucket, Lampsilis siliquoidea; Plain Pocketbook, L. cardium) were collected from upstream populations. Larval mussels (glochidia) were harvested from gravid females and used to infest the gills of hatchery-reared largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), where the mussels undergo metamorphosis before dropping off as free-living individuals. Following propagation, we placed juvenile mussels in silos and cages across our study area to monitor survivorship and growth rates under current environmental conditions. While our first two years have largely been successful, we encountered a number of struggles that resulted in changes to our approach. Our first challenge was low survivorship in our juvenile rearing system. Due to generous help from colleagues, we have restructured this system for year two and have, so far, greatly improved our outcomes. Year two however came with its own challenges; the combination of gill (Copepoda) and body cavity (Nematoda) parasites in our host fish resulted in anemia, reducing overall fish condition and juvenile mussel development. While our propagation program has persevered and is on track to meet our research goals, the first two years have presented a wild learning curve that has led to improvements in our approach that we will carry forward as we develop our research program further. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to share our lessons learned to support the community of unionid researchers working to conserve these important freshwater taxa.