Stocking a pond, need advice

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Yukondogloshua

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Joined
Nov 13, 2016
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38
Location
stouffville
I’m stocking a small pond, approximately 1/4 of an acre, 110 ft by 80 ft. The pond is shallow, the deepest point being around 5 feet. There is no vegetation except algae. There’s chara algae on the bottom and filamentous algae on top, no other weeds or likewise. I intend on stocking 50 largemouth bass and one gallon of bait fish (sunfish, shiners, minnows). I’m concerned for the long term survival of the fish due to th the lack of vegetation, for reference there is also a slight current running through the pond.

Any advice is welcome.
Thanks
 
Make sure what you are doing is legal, cause you can't transport fish from one body of water and take it to another if that is what you plan on doing. Also if the deepest point is only 5 feet, there will be low survival rate
 
Ibstacle said:
Make sure what you are doing is legal, cause you can't transport fish from one body of water and take it to another if that is what you plan on doing. Also if the deepest point is only 5 feet, there will be low survival rate
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The pond is on my property, and the fish are bought from a fish farm, I’m not taking fish from any other pond/lake. And when you say “low survival rate” are you speaking in a general sense or referring to winterkill?
 
5 ft of water. No vegetation for cover.
30+ c . Certain death I'd think.
Great feast for predators also.
 
Of course.
People set up back yard ponds with Lily pads and other aquatic plants every summer.
This is something you have to plan and research.
Nothing is easy.
And nothing is cheap.
Out of my wheel house.
But I know some people pay thousands just landscaping their front and back yards EVERY summer.
 
Yukondogloshua said:
The pond is on my property, and the fish are bought from a fish farm, I’m not taking fish from any other pond/lake. And when you say “low survival rate” are you speaking in a general sense or referring to winterkill?
Click to expand...
I'm saying in general
 
Adamthedrummer said:
I would not put sunfish or bluegill in it. They reproduce like crazy and eat everything.
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The sunfish are fingerlings. The gallon of them consists of 1/3 sunfish 1/3 shiners and 1/3 fathead minnows. The sunfish are too small to spawn, they would need atleast a year to grow to maturity and begin their spawning. The minnows on the other hand will spawn very quickly which is good.
 
Imo the key i believe is to have an inlet/outlet for your pond...a creek or river. I coated a garage / barn once for a farmer in Kleinburg...I believe the average depth that bass can survive is about 8ft. it was about 10k sq.ft wide pond he had. 2 actually of the same size. I don't see a lot of lilies but there are weedy spots and then there are areas without...it was beautiful and clear and I can see massive bass that are not even spooked. he said it was stocked years before with panfish and bass and are only fished for fun by his grand kids...this old guy doesn't even fish his own pond and prefer to launch his boat in Georgian bay for salmon...
 
You have a current through the pond? How? Is there a creek that runs through it? Is it a lined pond or soft bottom like a lake? 5 feet deep? Pretty shallow, a harsh winter most likely will take everything out unless you run an aerator through the winter to keep it oxygenated.

Your pond isn't that big but you may have to supplement the feeding for the first couple years before anything stabilizes and becomes natural. My friend is building a 2 million gallon pond and will stock browns in it, he will spend 2 years just building an established forage base for the browns before he even attempts stocking it. Don't expect much reproduction with the minnows when you have 50 largies in there with them.

Do your research so you wont be disappointed with the outcome and/or angry with the costs involved undertaking such a project. Also, I would HIGHLY suggest you look into the legalities of such a project in your area.
 
It wont work, 5ft and poor water will not work out sorry. I have a pond very similar. Mine is only abut 7ft in the deepest part and the water quality is not great. NO current bad water quality and a muddy gross bottom. Gets covered in that tiny weed that floats in summer.

Stock lots of bait fish the first year and let them adapt, Toss is some habitat like logs branches etc. Leave it for the first summer.

Once the bait fish have become established try added some cats or carp or coi in the second year, LM just wont make it in really bad water.

Don't try to add everything in one year it takes time to get it going.

Mine looks amazing from above has an island in the middle but nothing really lives and I've tried a lot over the years.

You can try adding a pond aerator system to keep it from freezing over in winter but the wind mill version cost a little bit. I always wanted to get one but we just let the beavers and herons own the pond now.
 
Yukondogloshua said:
I’m stocking a small pond, approximately 1/4 of an acre, 110 ft by 80 ft. The pond is shallow, the deepest point being around 5 feet. There is no vegetation except algae. There’s chara algae on the bottom and filamentous algae on top, no other weeds or likewise. I intend on stocking 50 largemouth bass and one gallon of bait fish (sunfish, shiners, minnows). I’m concerned for the long term survival of the fish due to th the lack of vegetation, for reference there is also a slight current running through the pond.

Any advice is welcome.
Thanks
Click to expand...

Yukondogloshua said:
The pond is on my property, and the fish are bought from a fish farm, I’m not taking fish from any other pond/lake. And when you say “low survival rate” are you speaking in a general sense or referring to winterkill?
Click to expand...

If there is a current flowing through the pond, where does the water come from and go to?

The idea of it having current is a problem. While the pond may be on your property, if water from it leaves your property and goes elsewhere, then no, you can't stock it. You can only stock a "closed system" where the water (and the fish) can't leave your own property. The idea with this is to keep introduced fish from spreading into areas where they can do real harm.

Sorry if that's not what you want to hear, but a quick call to MNR will confirm it. Phone your district office and ask them yourself.

Beyond that, I'd agree with others here ... very unlikely your fish will survive in the kind of environment you describe.
 
Symmetre said:
If there is a current flowing through the pond, where does the water come from and go to?

The idea of it having current is a problem. While the pond may be on your property, if water from it leaves your property and goes elsewhere, then no, you can't stock it. You can only stock a "closed system" where the water (and the fish) can't leave your own property. The idea with this is to keep introduced fish from spreading into areas where they can do real harm.

Sorry if that's not what you want to hear, but a quick call to MNR will confirm it. Phone your district office and ask them yourself.

Beyond that, I'd agree with others here ... very unlikely your fish will survive in the kind of environment you describe.
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I can take pictures of the pond if that helps at all. The pond has its water inflow from another pond that filters in. The that feeds into mine is also on my property, but’s less that s foot deep all across the pond. There are almost certainly no fish in there. The stream flowing out of the pond is less than an inch deep, the deepest point being 6 inches max, and the stream flows and ends in a field, not reaching another body of water. As for the pond it’s been around for ages, easily 30 or so years and it’s supporting a small rainbow trout population. I don’t believe there is any problem with the property boundaries, other than the perhaps the stream? I’ve just been Thinking that if the pond could support those rainbow trout for all these years perhaps it could support the bass? I guess I could also make brush piles or some cover.
 
I’d say go for it and try it if it meets all legalities. As others mentioned do it in stages. Don’t go and try to grow weeds, bass, sunfish and minnows all at the same time. One year try to grow some veggies and minnows. Next year or year after try some sunfish and bass.

I used to fish a pond almost identical to what you’re describing. Used to catch Largemouth bass there throughout my whole childhood . Water quality was garbage and the fish still stuck around! If any species is going to survive poor conditions, it’s going to be largemouth.

Good luck
 

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