Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Creating habitat Trees 'n' such. (WALL OF TEXT)

Just my opinion, but I'd steer well clear of hydrila or milfoil. Both of these plants will spread to as deep as ten feet and while the initial affect will be beneficial, both could potentially put you right back to square one over time, with a pond almost completely choked out and almost impossible to fish.

The hiacynth can potentially become problematic in a large body of water as well, as it spreads rapidly and once established is very difficult to get rid of. I say that, and yet am considering floating containment rings to add some to my little pond as shade and to help use up excessive nutrient loads, while providing cover over deep water.

I would suggest looking into eelgrass and Kissimmee grass types as they'll stay confined to the shallows and still provide ample cover for fry and YOY, and are still easy enough to fish through. Also look at some form of arrowheads. All of these should be available in just about any BOW in your area.

Hard cover is never a bad idea and I personally think you cant have too much. But it does eventually rot, adds more nutrients to the water and is a hook magnet. That's why so many pond meisters use synthetic materials.