Is there any information documenting whether muddy or clear water is better for management?

I am looking to buy a new ranch. I like the clear water of the Texas Hill country. My wife likes the East Texas NOT as clear water.

Can bait fish thrive in clear water where predators can see them easier etc? Vice Versa can predators do better because of a particular environment clear or muddy?

Thanks in advance.

DL

Clear water is less fertile. A good green color is more supportive of the base of the food chain and allows most pond fish to have a better chanc of reaching their full growth potential.

Some fish like smallmouth bass do better in clearer waters.

The answers really lie in what your's and your wifes's goals are as far as the goals for the pond are.

Just remember, if Momma ain't happy, nobody is happy!

LOL, How true Rainman! Thank you for the information.

What's your and your wifes defination of clear water? Rex is right, tho.

Well, she doesn't like to swim in lakes but I like to fish and my 4 daughters like to swim in lakes...so I thought, clear water girls swimming...but mama still won't swim so I might as well get the best fish on I can...right?

Bandera county is crystal clear like the carribean.

I may be off base here but if you have the clear what it is probably easier to get an algae bloom to form by fertilizing as compared to muddy water.

If this is wrong please correct me, which I hope I am as I have 2 ponds that are muddy and would love to be told that I can get a bloom going in it anyway.

Dog,

There are pros and cons to both types of water. I fish in a few lakes here that you can't see past 10 inches. I mean muddy!! And I catch everything from crappie to 1 to 6 lbs bass in it. Fish will adapted to what they are in for the most part when it comes to water clarity. You just have to figure out what the best way is to manage it for one or the other. If I were going to swim in it I would prefer a somewhat clearer water though. Then you could have the best of both worlds.

Excellent point, but the cause of the clarity will determine whether or not adding nutrients will help. Pine Tree watersheds are notoriously clear due to the very high acidity. These waters can be difficult to correct for any length of time.

There are many limiting factors for anything to grow. Three of the biggies are Sunlight available, Nutrients available, and PH.

Ok we will take my case then, I am sure that my muddy water is due to the fact that the ponds are older and have some muck on the bottom.

Then take into account cattle like to get in them so they stir up the muck.

What options do I have to help these ponds besides removing the cattle?

1) build an exclusion device that limits the amount of cattle that can visit the pond at one time AND limit how far they can walk into the water.
2) exclude them from the pond and pump water to stock tanks for them to drink out of.

If you can't keep them out of the water there is nothing you can do about the muddy water. Period.

Yeah I agree with esshup here. I have a very old pond and very mucky on the bottom but it's clear as can be. I can see 5 feet down. And I know my pond is at least 60 years old. Your problem is your cattle I would say 80 percent of your muddy water is from that.

Well I figured that, was just hoping there was something I could do. Since I do not have control over the cattle I guess I will just have to deal with it.

I just wonder what fish can live in that type of water?


Now my father on the other hand has a very similar problem, except there are no cattle on his place and the water test he had done said everything was fine.


RC51,

How big is your pond with the muck and how deep is it?


So what would be causing his to stay muddy?