Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Newbie - Ohio Trout Year Round?

Hi All,

The site looks greatand glad to be a member! Our pond filled up completly this winter and I would love to stock trout in it, is there any way to create a habitat for them to survive the summer months?

Pond Details:

3-4 Surface Acres
26' Deep in the middle
Not Spring fed

I am open to areiation systems that might give the trout a fitting chance to survive, any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Matt

For trout to surive for several years after the first year it will take a relatively strong flow from an artesian well or a high inflow pumped from a well. Don't expect trout to do well in the summer conditions of Ohio. If it could be done lots of Ohioans would be doing it. Many have tried unsuccessively. Trout can exist year round in some Ohio stone quarries. You don't have stone quarry conditions.
If you don't provide bottom aeration during summers, all the water deeper than 8 ft will be dead. Colder temperatures (60-70F), but dead - no oxygen. Deeper than 16-18ft is not always better in your location.

If you have no high volume springs or or the ability to pump high volumes of well water, trout will have to be a seasonal fishery. As in, you stock them in the fall and fish them out by late spring when they'd die.

Oh yeah... Welcome to the forum! Although year round trout may not be an option for your pond, there are many other options that are feasible. Have you stocked your pond yet? If so, what have you stocked? If not, what species do you enjoy angling for? There are many knowledgeable members on here who can assist you in getting your pond stocked appropriately to lead to some excellent angling down the road.

In a north central OH pond with deep water as you have, spring 2011 stocked trout may last clear up to early July after the first few years of your new pond. In the first 1-2 yrs if the water is clear with visibility of 6-7ft the trout may make it through the first summer. If you are VERY lucky they will survive until the 2nd, 3rd or 4th summer. If you are passionate about trout, give it a try, and keep us posted as to how long you can catch them or see them feeding on pellets. I hope you can prove us wrong. I am always up for learning about new conditions.

Snowpromod, welcome to the forum, something else that might help trout hang on would be to have your aerator hooked to a thermostat that would turn on when air temps get below your water temps, you could also do the same thing with a fountain.
If you have alot of excess cash a well and big pump would do the trick.

AP, I tried the aerating only on cooler nights thing, but the surface water was too warm, and it combined with the lower water, making the whole pond too warm for the trout.

I forget the name, but there was discussion last year of a way to only aerate the lower, colder water but I haven't heard of anyone trying it. If I have the time this summer I will build that system and try it out.

Give it a try. Do a small batch the first year to see how things go. I'm in Southwest Michigan and my trout did fine. I even had a few days where the water was 74-75 degrees. I ran my aerator 24/7 in the deepest part of the pond, and that's only 9 feet deep!

FYI - I have a golden strain of rainbow trout.

During the summer I only aerate for the purpose of reducing water temps when the air temp is lower than the surface water temps and the bubble hose is set in 4 ft. of water. Trying to aerate and keep cool deeper water is risky at best so I am mainly looking to cool upper pond water which can also benefit the trout especially when surface feeding.

Another factor here is it all depends , my pond is only 8 ft. deep but I benefit from piping in almost 100gpm from a cool fast running stream and nights here can be fairly cool.
I also believe (others will probably disagree) that for strictly reducing water temps on cool nights you can't beat a good submersible pump in shallow water with a good fountain spray pattern and also should have less affect on mixing and warming the deeper water than aeration.

Snowpromod I agree with others that it's worth giving trout a try but keep your numbers low and go with Rainbows.

In Medina, Ohio you will have more than a few days in the low to mid 70's, more like 80's. I'm with Bill you will be wasting fish and money if you expect trout to make it through the summer.

2trackin you must have spring seepage or something special going on.

I can't even count how many people think they can have trout just because their pond is deep and are sadly disappointed.

Additionally it would take a lot of well water to keep them going in a 3 acre pond. I used 60,000 gallons a day in my little 1/10th acre pond.

Bill was being nice and tactful unlike myself.