I just built a half acre pond in central Texas, and I'm in the process of filling it now. I should have six feet of water (on my way to a maximum depth of about 12 feet) by the last week or so of July. I'm anxious to begin stocking, starting with fathead minnows and blue gills. The water temperature is about 95 degrees. The water is also running down part of the pond's bank, so is rather muddy right now. Is it ok for me to stock at this time of year, and under these conditions? Thanks to everyone for sharing your knowledge.

No reason you can't get a couple of pounds of FHM in there now... I'd hold off on the BG and other species until the water cool in the fall and begin to clear up. If it was me, I'd get the ground stabalized this fall with a cover crop and stock your BG, RES and other forage fish in the spring and then the bass as early as next fall. Patience will pay off in the end...

What are your goals for the pond?

Do your homework and be patient. You don't plant corn in September. We finished our pond in March, and we're waiting to stock with bream & channel cats this Fall. LM in the Spring after the bream and cats have had a chance to grow large enough so the LM won't eat them. Stocking a pond is much like farming. There is a proper time and sequence - do your homework online from multiple sources. IMHO.

Goals for the pond are to fish LMB. Hybrid Stripped Bass also interest me, and perhaps tilapia. I'm not much interested in catfish, and I don't think a pond of this size could support much of anything else.

Understood about not planting corn in September. Would like, at least to start, my FHMs and bluegills so I don't have to wait yet another year+ before I can introduce the bass.

i am in the same boat you are in. I don't really want to wait until next spring to stock my lmb's, but will probably have to. our temps here in arky are in the high nineties already.

If you stock in the Fall, they will grow very little over the winter.

Fatheads love muddy water...I would stock em now and let them spawn!

I stocked my FHM and BG in December of one year and the LMB in July of the folowing year. Be sure to put some sort of flat surfaced habitat in a foot or 2 of water so the FHM will have somewhere to get under and spawn if you haven't already. In a month or 2, you'll have clouds of minnows everywhere. The muddy water in my pond didn't affect them any.
Good luck!