I want to stock a farm pond......

[cjparker]

We have an empty farm pond that our neighbor is going to fill for us with his irrigation pump. It's a fairly good-sized pond, about 100x100 feet and maybe 30 feet at the deepest point.

We want to stock the pond with either crappies and bluegills or maybe try rainbow trout. I am having a heck of a time finding good information on maintaining the pond, and especially on where to locate fish to stock the pond with. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Thanks!

 

[miss_thenorth]

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[patandchickens]

If the pond is really 30 ft deep AND STAYS THAT WAY, trout might be ok but they do indeed need COOL water. In mid-august, dangle a waterproof thermometer down on a weighted line to different depths and see how deep you have to go to be trout-temperature (sorry, too lazy to look up actual number - try google )

If you're too warm for trout, bass and bluegill are a good bet.

Be aware that the two big common pitfalls of stocking farmponds are: putting in carp or catfish that eat all yer pondweeds and turn a nice clearwater (if weedy) pond into a mudbottomed pot o' mud or peagreen soup; and stocking a large number of even-aged bass or bluegill such that they suffer so much competition for food that they all remain permanently stunted and never get big enough to catch, eat, breed, etc.

What state are you in? Sources and management advice are going to be a lot different in the South vs the North ,etcetera.

Afterthought -- if the pond is currently empty you oughta figure out WHY and see if it is likely to be fixable, and then hold off for a year or two after filling it to make sure it will continue to hold water. Seriously. If the clay layer lining it is cracked through, from drying out or from any other reason, it may OR MAY NOT fix itself. Trying to keep a chronically leaky pond filled would probably not be a wise use of irrigation water, if it came to that.

Pat

 

[Beekissed]

Your county extension office should be able to give you information on maintaining your pond and, in some cases, will help you build or maintain a pond. They may also have numbers for the local hatcheries in the area.

I agree with Pat on finding out the reason your pond is dry. You don't want to go the expense of all those fish and maintenance to find out later your pond won't hold water.

 

[cjparker]

To clarify, the pond is set so that it can be filled/drained with large pipes from the irrigation canals. I'm in Benton County, Wa. It was drained and left that way during the sale process, when we bought the house last summer.

I understand that rainbow trout may be a reach, but oh they are sooooo good when panfried and served with new potatoes and sliced tomatoes from the garden.

Now I'm hungry!

I don't want to put in catfish or any of the other bottom-feeders.

And thanks for the mention of needing different ages/sizes. That hadn't occurred to me.

 

[patandchickens]

To clarify, the pond is set so that it can be filled/drained with large pipes from the irrigation canals. I'm in Benton County, Wa. It was drained and left that way during the sale process, when we bought the house last summer.

Ah! <lightbulb>. Well, unless the pond has been left dry every other year for decades or someting like that I think I would STILL let it stand full for at least six months or so to make sure it is still good -- especially if this is a 'natural' (i.e. clay based) pond. Surprising and unfortunate things can happen to clay pond liners if they are left to crack and bake. Not always of course but often enough that it would be wise to make sure things are *really* ok before investing time and money in fish.

I understand that rainbow trout may be a reach, but oh they are sooooo good when panfried and served with new potatoes and sliced tomatoes from the garden.

Since you don't have the pond filled yet and thus can't really do the thermometer experiment this year, I'd say ask around other farmers in the area to see what they're growing in similar ponds. And getting expert advice (as indeed you're trying to ) from your state extension service or wherever, on what ages/sizes/numbers to stock, can help you avoid the 'nine million tiny stunted fish' problem that is otherwise distressingly common.

Good luck,

Pat, aquatic ecologist and thus having some clue about farmponds but having basically worked on insects and small other invertebrates and protozoa, mostly in fishLESS ponds, and thus not a font of information on exact details

 

[dacjohns]

As mentioned before, check with your county extension agent. Also try the nearest NRCS office.

Internet search for more regional and local information.


My pond is about 1/3 acre and about 12 feet deep. I couldn't go deeper because we hit rock. It is stocked with largemouth bass, bluegill, readear, and channel catfish. This is a typical stocking for ponds in my area.

I believe your pond is too small for crappie. 100 X 100 is about 1/4 acre I believe. Crappie will also take over a pond.


Couple of places to get you started:

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/trnsport.htm

http://find-it.wa.gov/

 

[cjparker]

Thank you for the links! I had NO IDEA that I need a permit to stock my farm pond. Oh well, should be quick process as there's no egress that would allow my stock to get into the water supply.

 

[ticks]

Yes, you deffinatley need a permit. See if it is legal to stock bass too. In vermont I don't think you can. Pike are also cool fish.