That depends on what types of lily pads you are talking about. The wrong types can grow quickly and overtake a pond, making it hard to fish in. But it all depends on your goals. John Monroe doesn't fish in his ponds, and he's happy with them having a LOT of vegetation in them - more than anyone would prefer that fished in their ponds. IIRC he has Spatterdock and White Fragrant Lillies in his pond.

Fragrant White Lilies and Spatterdock are the two most common wild varities that grow in the Northern part of the US. They grow and spread fast, and can can grow in water depths (depending on clarity) of 4-5 feet. Once established, they can spread 5' or more per year, and are difficult to remove. They just don't only spread by rhizomes, they also spread by seeds. So, keeping them in containers won't keep them contained for long.

You can plant hardy lilies, which don't spread fast at all. If you wanted lilies, that's what I would do. Search on here for Hardy lilies, they have been discussed a number of times before.

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3/4 to 1 1/4 ac pond LMB, SMB, PS, BG, RES, CC, YP, Bardello BG, (RBT & Blue Tilapia - seasonal).