I wonder how serious a problem it is when rains fill a pond to overflowing and the excess water runs out via a spillway rather than an overflow tube? Are many fish washed out? As water runs into a pond from a hillside, there would be a current from the inflow side to the overflow area. Fish swim against the current. Does this factor in? Are some fish more disposed to going with the flow and right out of the pond?

Most fish do go upstream in a heavy inflow/outflow. You will lose some small fish but it is not statistically significant.

Thanks, Dave. I was hoping that was the case.

We had a lot of rain last June. I started building a one acre pond behind my 3/4 pond and when the 3/4 acre overflowed, I followed the buzzards to past the new pond to three catfish of two or three pounds one about five pounds and two pound live one. When the new pond dried up (I wasn't finished and had only the topsoil off) I found two more four or five pounders. Seven catfish that I found and they were all large ones.

Hello Brian,

Boy I wish I had your problem! Too much water, what a blessing!

Take care,
Patrick

It only happened once! I'm sure when/if I ever get the bigger pond finished it will take years to fill.