Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations HBG age question

I have some HBG that are now about 15 months old and they are already mostly in the 8.5-9.5" range and as fat as they are high, ( they love those pellets!!)so my question is at what age will they stop growing and have run there course so I can stock some more into the pond? or start harvesting them? I am in SW Ohio as far as the growing season goes....Just trying to plan ahead.....

Thanks Salmonid

By 2 years they'll stop the insane growth you're seeing now... You can harvest now now if you like... You can expect a rare HBG to hit 5 years old and top our around 13" but that would be a true monster!

Not an easy question to answer because growth in Lepomis ( BG and GSF) is effected by many factors. One is reproductive maturity. When they become reproductively active their growth rate goes way down. That point can vary widely depending on food , population status , and predation among others. Another factor is latitude. The colder the climate the slower the growth rate and the longer to maturity.

With that said most HBG will under the right conditions grow to about the same size as male BG (HBG are 90+% male). By 8 inches in your area 18 mths to 2 years they are mature. They may keep growing at a slow rate for several years topping out at 12 inches at around 6 years +-. They may live even longer. They are big enough to harvest now. Just keep up with the # and add a few more each year than you take out to allow for natural morts.