So I got this wild hair to build a pond in my backyard. What started as a would-be wildlife watering hole quickly began to tug at my imagination until I realized that I could likely have a nice, small bluegill and bass pond. I talked to a contractor, and lo and behold, I am now scheduled to have a pond put in this summer.

Sooooo.... WHAT NOW?

Initial thoughts process was... 1) dig. 2) stock. 3) fish. After reading some of this forum, I'm realizing that there is a TON more to building and maintaining a pond than I ever realized. It's not going to be quite as simple as my original 3 step thought process...

So my question isn't so much about anything specific -- Rather, what information do I need to know that I probably don't even know enough to know that I need to know it? (Confused yet?) In other words, since I'm having a pond put in in a few months, what sort of stuff do I need to start researching and doing now so that I am well prepared when my pond is "born"? Stuff that might not even be close to being on my radar yet... I am an EXTREME newbie at this...

Info... The pond will be a runoff pond of about 1/4-1/3 acre or so. Max depth ~10-12 feet on one end. A dam/berm will be built on two sides, using the natural slopes as the other sides of the pond. I attached a photo - the open, low lying area is where the pond will go.

Welcome!

First I'd go to the home page, go to the PB store and look at the books. I'd drop some coin on "Perfect Pond" and others that pique your interest.

Then I'd call the local NRCS agent and ask a few questions 1) will the soil in that particular area hold water 2) is there enough watershed to support the pond AND what size primary and emergency overflow you'll need.

Then further define what species of fish you want in your pond and start building cover to put in the pond. It's easier to place that stuff when the pond is dry rather than after it's full.

Next I'd line up seed and maybe some landscape fabric to help anchor the seeds in place and keep the banks from washing into the pond while the seeds are germinating and taking root. (I didn't do that step and paid for it).

At least you are on the right track, and you found this place before the pond was completed rather than after like I did....

Welcome woodwalleye! I'll go ahead and ask the proverbial question of... What are your goals for the pond? How do you envision the enjoyment that you want to get out of it? What kind of fishery do you envision? First set your goals and manage to acheive. We would all love to help you with that.

Oh and if you like the look of a fixed dock, design it now and install it before the water starts filling.

I might add to really focus on all the stuff here on Pond Boss regarding the building of a pond (plus the books like esshup said), and not get to defocused on all the stuff that comes after the building.

I only say that 'cause there's so much stuff to learn, and if you don't build the pond correctly, it will never be what you want it to be.

Thanks for the fast replies!

Goals:

1. Always dreamed of having a pond as a kid - Now I have the opportunity to give "my" dream to my two boys - 3 and 6 - both love to fish. So holding fish for catching/eating by my family would be the biggest reason/goal. Otherwise, a great place for boys to play, get dirty, catch frogs and salamanders, etc..

2. As a fishing pond -- Whatever fish I can best support. A BG / LMB combo seems to be a great choice from what I understand so far. I'd love to catch (and eat) big gills. LMB would be fun to catch, but most likely they would be planted for mainly crowd control reasons... (?)

3. Wildlife drink station - deer, bears, ducks, whatever.

4. Asthetics, peace, relaxation, etc... I am building a kids fort that will overlook the pond/food plot areas (ok, ok, its a fort AND dad's backyard bowstand A pond and maybe a nearby bonfire ring would be a great addition.


Not sure if I mentioned this, but I reside in WI.

"3. Wildlife drink station - deer, bears, ducks, whatever."

Did you mean 'beers' or bears?' Just want to understand!

Up nort dere, ya?

I have relatives in Fifield and Park Falls.

Another route to take if you were going to feed and not have to worry about things getting out of balance is Hybrid BG and Hybrid Striped Bass (if legal) with a dash of Rainbow Trout in late Sept/Oct for winter fishing. Of course you'd have to feed and replenish the fish annually or bi-annually, but they'd be easy to catch and a blast to watch feed!

Yeah -- the wildlife sneaks across the borders from the Michigan UP and from Northern MN on snowmobiles. They drink all the Leinenkugels in the feeder/cooler and then they retreat. The deer, bears, and ducks have a great time watching!

Anyway, welcome to the craziness here on Pond Boss. We have fun, but we can provide a lot of pretty good information.

What you are trying to do is what many of us have achieved, or are trying to achieve. For you, and especially for the boys, you'll never regret what you are about to do.

So, just how far Up Nort are you? That will really determine the best kind of fish for the pond. I grew up way Nort on the south shore of Lake Superior, and we had excellent bluegill/bass fisheries. If you are far enough north, you can also look at combinations that include perch, small mouth bass, and even walleye.

You will also find that you are amongst a lot of friends here who really push the limits of raising big bluegill that are controlled by bass and other predators. I'm one of those. As time goes on, you can also add trout. The trout are inexpensive to stock, they will do well in the pond when the water temperatures are below the mid-60s, and they are just a heck of a lot of fun in the spring time for adults and kids.

Come back and ask lots of questions. We'll try to keep you from making the mistakes many of us have made.

Ken

LOL!

Yup, I did say BEARS, although I'm sure there will be BEERS as well every now and again. We aren't WAAAY up nort, but far enough to say you betcha and call casseroles "hot dishes". Far enough nort to start last winter with 22 inches of snow in one day, and it didn't stop snowing until 2 weeks ago. Far enough nort to know what who makes Big Butt Doppelbock, where Escanaba is (and have seen Escanaba in Da Moonlight - both as a movie and as a play)... And to know that Eau Claire is French for clear water.... Oh ya.. And that the Packers are reigning world champs. LOL

Looking forward to this forum, thanks guys.

Ahhh.. Park Falls.. One heck of a rod company there in Park Falls... Grouse capitol "of the world", too.

Sounds like I'll have some options. I don't know much about the hybrid stripers, but trout definitely sounds intriguing if my water temps stay relatively cool, which I think they will (area should be fairly shaded during parts of the day... We'll find out, anyway.

Thanks again - looking forward to more replies.. I'll keep posting questions as they come to me.

You'll fit in just fine!

At the most recent Pond Boss conference several weeks ago in Missouri, a significant percentage of speakers were Cheeseheads!

Heck, even youngsters in West Virginia know what team to cheer for. It was too cold and snowy to go fishing on Super Bowl Sunday 2011. But we had fun anyway.


(My grand daughter -- Super Bowl Sunday, 2011)

Ahh, the classic cheese hat. Never gets old.

Here is a photo that I got on my trail camera. This is in the backyard, right where the pond will be. Very cool to see these guys around, and this particular bear was a very good sized one.

One pond-related question that I thought of. -- I have talked to the contractor a few times. Enough to know that yes, it can be done, and yes, it will hold water/fish. He also gave me an estimate on cost.

My question is --- What questions do I need to be asking my contractor before/during contstruction? He has constructed many ponds from what I understand and seems quite knowlegable. He had a laser transit with him the first day we met and was able to mark the "high tide" lines and rough pond outline. But just so I'm not going into this totally blind, what questions and details should I be asking so we are sure to get this done right?

(Right now I am totally relying on his expertise and his word to get it done "right"... He has much more knowlege than I do, but seeing that I will be the one living with it, it makes sense that I should at least be informed about the "right" way to get this done...)

Thanks!

OK... So I've thought of a few more very general questions, to go along with my above question... I'll list them here.

Considering my pond will be quite small, most likely ~ 1/4 acre (1/3 acre max), and not super deep (10-12 foot max) and I live in WI...

1. What to ask/discuss with my contractor to make sure things are done right

2. What are my stocking options, realistically. I have been assuming I should be able to grow nice BG with LMB as controlling predators, but maybe that is a poor assumption, or maybe there are better options out there?

3. Structure. I have seen some great info on this site. Lots of great ideas. What sort of structure considerations should I be doing at a minimum, and what should I definitely try to do before it fills with water?

4. Dock / float. I'm not sure if I want a fixed dock (or even any dock at all), but what are my building material options? (treated lumber, etc...) or Should I consider some sort of "barge" float to put in at a later date --something that I could move around and remove if necessary...

5. What aeration issues will I have, and what are my options? Will I need to consider these immediately, or will I have a few years? (How bad might winterkill be?)


So those are my questions. Lots of stuff to cover, I'm just trying to learn as I go and start with the basics. Links to past threads from people with similar ponds/questions would be great, as I'm sure
this stuff has been covered before...

Oh ya - and how do I post actual photos, and not just the link? (Using Photobucket or something?)

Thanks!
WW