Here's my plan. New pond, .54 acre 15 ft. max depth. Mostly clay with 35% to 50% grade on the banks.An 75'x100' beach area with crushed limestone and 3" to 4" riprap around the rest. It is 1/2 full now, and nothing in it but frogs. Also the whole western exposure is wooded. Is it a good idea to include yellow perch in my stocking plan? I plan on 5# fatheads this spring 150 Bluegill, 50 Redear, 15 Cats, and 100 yellow perch. then this summer adding 50-70 LMB I would be fishing the pond frequntly for panfish. And culling some of the 10"-14" Bass down the road. Will perch mess up an otherwise balanced fishery? Or can they be managed and grown to a respectable (8"-10") size?

I guess your question all depends on what you want from your pond. Great eating, and perch would be your fish. But perch are predatory and very active spawners. Thus, their numbers can balloon out of control. They also spawn eatlier than either bass or bluegill, giving them a leg up on the competition. If you were wanting trophy bass, I would probably leave them out. If you were wanting a pond with a mor diverse fish population, be careful and keep their numbers in check.

Thanks Isaac,
I'm new to all this,and I'm glad to have found this forum. Man this site is a wealth of information. We have several months to finalize our stocking plans. I would like to get the minnows and bluegill in as soon as possible after ice-out this spring. Does anyone know if thats a good idea? Hey Cecil, what do you think about Yellow Perch in the mix? Any and all input would help, Thanks

Lynn, I would consider dropping the cats and 50% of the perch. Your .54 acre pond with a good size beach area is not going to support all that stock very well. I would also consider this a recreational pond due to its size,thus the reduction in numbers and kind. Just my 2 cents, Good Luck Ted