Clear water. Really, really clear. What to do? - 02/28/15 05:39 PM
Quick background: Pond is at least 30 years old, as far as I know it's never been fertilized, average depth is around 8-9 feet, and I believe its water source is solely rain and runoff.
Can a body of water be too clear?
What we like about the clarity is you can see everything - snorkeling and scuba diving is fun. As for fishing, the pros are you can spot bass and target them.
The negatives are fish related - the bass can see if you're in their field of vision and this makes fishing more difficult, and the clarity is likely to impact the predation in some manner.
From December through May the water is crystal clear. June and July visibility starts to lessen, and in August and September it averages 4-5 feet. Late September through early November it moves from 3-4 feet to 4-5 feet leading into the super clear December.
I have wondered if I should mess with the clarity or not. Be it an algae bloom or a pond dye. Obviously if I do anything I don't want to have a negative impact on the body of water - too much algae or weed growth, harm the fish/frogs/wildlife.
Would like to hear thoughts from experienced pond owners / managers - if they had too clear of water and they decreased visibility and how, and the affect that had on fishing, etc.
Here are some pics from yesterday.
From shore into the water, the white circled area is 6 to 9 feet deep from shore moving toward pond center. You can clearly see the trees.
This is an artificial habitat sitting in 9-10 feet of water. not only can you it, but you can see every weed, rock and pebble on the pond bottom.
Same habitat as above, only the naked eye shot without the polar filter on the left.
Can a body of water be too clear?
What we like about the clarity is you can see everything - snorkeling and scuba diving is fun. As for fishing, the pros are you can spot bass and target them.
The negatives are fish related - the bass can see if you're in their field of vision and this makes fishing more difficult, and the clarity is likely to impact the predation in some manner.
From December through May the water is crystal clear. June and July visibility starts to lessen, and in August and September it averages 4-5 feet. Late September through early November it moves from 3-4 feet to 4-5 feet leading into the super clear December.
I have wondered if I should mess with the clarity or not. Be it an algae bloom or a pond dye. Obviously if I do anything I don't want to have a negative impact on the body of water - too much algae or weed growth, harm the fish/frogs/wildlife.
Would like to hear thoughts from experienced pond owners / managers - if they had too clear of water and they decreased visibility and how, and the affect that had on fishing, etc.
Here are some pics from yesterday.
From shore into the water, the white circled area is 6 to 9 feet deep from shore moving toward pond center. You can clearly see the trees.
This is an artificial habitat sitting in 9-10 feet of water. not only can you it, but you can see every weed, rock and pebble on the pond bottom.
Same habitat as above, only the naked eye shot without the polar filter on the left.