Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Need Help Stocking Pond For First Time

So I have a 10,000 square foot pond that has a maximum depth of six feet, during july, august, and part of september the creek running into dries out so i have to block up the end to keep water in it. I live in the western part of washington state (North of SEattle) could you guys please help me with what kind of fish to stock it with and how many, thanks

What are your goals? Recreational(catch and release) fishing, food for the table, kid fishing? What species of fish do you like to catch? Ones you definitely aren't interested in...

Hello Bentrout and welcome to Pond Boss.

I very much like trout trout and bass and other fish that fight hard because i am a recreational fisher, i am not interested in fish that hit weak or fight weak

also i would like a fish that i dont have to feed every day but i could feed 3 times a week or so or could i establish a food of some sort in the pond

I am not familiar with Washington State fish laws. You live in a unique ecosystem, they may not allow many of the species the Midwest and east allows.

i understand the rules but what would you guys recomend and ill check out the rules on each fish

Bentrout, you don't know Barnes1 from the forum by chance do you?

I think you should consentrate, on the 5oo salmons, that you reasently dropt in your pond, before thinking about what more to relase.
Then take your time to learn about the habitants already living in the pond and also up and down stream, once you get that bigger picture, you will probaply get the answer to your question.

thank you but i believe the salmon are mostly dead

I do not know barnes 1 who is he

Get familiar with the biodivaresety in your pond, and the the natural limits that it carries.
Is there a natural inhabitant there allready, that you can sofisticate? thats usualy the easiest way to go.
If not, is there any legal/naturale obsticales, to itroduce the spiecies, that meet your reqirementes.
the answers to the 2 above is a local isue.
when you have those answers,then you can be more spesific in your search for advice on how to go about it.

I have checked the rules and there are no current residents living in the creek so all that I would need to do is block the exit of the creek with a grate and the entrance they said was high enough that fish can not escape, so now that I know this how should i go about stocking and setting up my pond.

Start with securing the creek/runavay.
Start logging test values,of BOW
(pond/inlett are 2 separate BOW's)
See if there is a nearbye hatchery, that can offer you local's,
down stream your pond.
If there is a specie, beetwen wath's at hand localy, that suits your demands in fishing thrill, that would be the lowest,maitnence (nursing/feeding),with the highest survival potential.
If however, there is non,at not even in the wild around you, the year around climath, might be the reason and then it is a costant up hill battle.
I think there is a sterile cross breed (tiger throut) that fill your demands. If the temp.C/F and DO can suport it,a few but as big you can get, might be your pic.

PS Get your leagel papers/permit in wrighting.

PAUL

http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/gal...-photos?photo=0

Here you go.

PAUL

Paul, thanks. That is a neat looking fish.

From here in Norway, it seems that you have a suplier of livestock and all the knoledge, almost as a next door neibor.

http://www.troutlodge.com/index.cfm?pageID=9ED9917F-3048-7B4D-A9F576109AAAD412

Bentrout, from the description of your pond it doesn't sound like it would support trout unless you wanted to stock in the fall and catch them in the spring before the water temps get too high.
I have raised tiger trout and have found them much more aggressive than rainbow or brook trout so they are easier to catch.
If they are legal and available in your state they are a beautiful fish to add to your pond.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympia,_Washington#Artesian_water

My water suply is a natural flowing artesian well, in the dryest/hotest part of the summer it is bearly trinkeling, but it is realy cold.
My great grandfather used it as a kind of refreegerator dug a hole under a huge rock lined it with 2 inch thik oak boards, aprox 2x2 feet and around 3 feet deep.
I have stored sea- and brow- trout in it,an it woorks.

PAUL

andedammen, having an artesian well supplying your pond water is
just about the best set-up you can have, my trout supplier has artesian wells for his hatchery, but the state put him out of buisiness due to unreasonable testing regulations.

Ben,

If you're interested in having a trout pond you need to determine your highest pond temps in summer. Not just surface temps but even if you surface temps get too warm in late summer you may still have cool enough temps and enough oxygen in later summer to support trout in your part of the country. I do know there are some open trout ponds in your area as it usually stays cooler than other parts of the country, and has some limnologically unique features. You stream depending on how cool it stays may keep your temps down long enough until your water cools back down in fall. I do find it hard to believe though that the stream has no resident fish in it.

If you don't want to wait that long and don't have the monitoring equipment, and your pond may be just on the edge (marginal for trout) you could plant some and see if they make it. They really are not that expensive.

If you P.M. me with your mailing address I'd be glad to send you an old publication your state Fish & Wildlife put together on having a trout pond and/or alternative species in your state. It's pretty good actually with lots of illustrations.

As far as tiger trout I'd be really surprised if you could get your hands on them or even order eggs in your part of the country that your state will allow you to import due to pesky health inspections standards. I have enough trouble accessing them in my part of the country because no one in my region produces them or does the adequate health testing to export them.

Personally i don't see what the big deal is with tiger trout but I get requests for them. I'll take the beauty of a male brook trout in full spawning colors any day.

my email is golferben@comcast.net

My stream dries up will this effect the trout

Seriously??

Water is kinda required for trout, or any other fish, except maybe walking catfish......

And snakeheads!