Pond is full and running over the spillway. Thinking about stocking tilapia very soon. Have noticed many fry around the pond. Should I worry about fish getting washed out? Would it be better to wait until it dries up to stock the tilapia? Advice is appreciated>

Do you have Bass in the pond yet?

Unlike "building" a forage base with FHM/GSH/BG, Tilapia 1) breed and grow much quicker and 2) can't be "stored" until next year in most locations (how far South is Lamar County?). So stocking Tilapia ahead of Bass is generally considered kind of a waste.

Theo,

Lamar county is Northeast of Dallas. The western border of my property is the Lamar county line.

So Tilapia will not overwinter there.

I swear, y'all have about 400 counties down there, some about as big as an average state.

Sorry I did not make myself clear. Pond is already established. Fry are from fish already in the pond. Question is should I be worried about existing fry and new tilapia being washed out? Sorry about confusion>

You might lose some but you have some to lose. No sweat. With the exception of grass carp, most fish try to go upstream in high water.

Stocking a lower # of tilapia would not be an entire waste. 2 or 3 lbs. per acre would give the bluegill lots of fry to hammer!