Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose N. California 0.4 acre pond opinions

I'm in a coastal area of Northern California, with very temperate weather. No snow in winter, but almost never above 80F in summer. The site I'm considering has a spring with small creek that flows into a swampy field which I'm planning to turn into a 0.4 acre pond.

My objective is recreational fishing a few times a month for fish that are good to eat, with zero maintenance. No aeration, pellet feeding, etc. Rainbow trout (which do fine in my area) and gambusia mosquitofish are my only options stocked locally, but I'm sure I can get most other common fish with enough effort and/or expense.

I would love to hear some opinions on the best approach to my objective. I really do like the taste of crappie, but have read plenty of warnings on this site regarding small ponds.

Welcome to PBF!

Zero maintenance is a tall order. I'll let the experienced guys respond to that and stocking. Do the trout reproduce in ponds near you or just survive?

Again, welcome!

Bill D.

You say zero maintenance, what about stocking new fish annually? I think that's where Bill D. was headed. If willing to stock regularly, your options open up a bit. Species like trout, walleye and hybrid striped bass don't normally spawn in ponds and are great on a dinner plate. Because they don't spawn in ponds, you really shouldn't have to manage their populations, but will have to replenish their numbers as you take them out.

Forage options might be a fun task to begin inquiring about if this route is an option. I would follow that discussion with a large bucket of popcorn.

Hello all, and thanks for the welcome. I've lurked on the forum off and on for a while, but just now getting serious about this project. I've enjoyed reading the posts that document the pond construction and fish stocking from beginning to end, and hope to do the same with my own.

Perhaps "zero" maintenance was the wrong word. I'm looking for low maintenance, but willing to do a little management and ongoing stocking if necessary. As much as I'd enjoy stocking (and eating) a few walleye, I don't know that they're legal in CA. Hybrid stripers are available (if I'm willing to take a long road trip), but are those any good for eating?

I do know there are plenty of small trout ponds around here, but I'm not sure they're reproducing. Although there is one pond I know of that has had trout in it at least 10 years where they claim they haven't restocked.

This is just an idea, not a suggestion, because I don't have the experience for it to be a suggestion.

But at .4 acres maybe a HBG pond could be a good option? HBG are generally considered put and take, so it would require restocking but would only need enough predator fish to control the offspring of the HBG.

HBG are good eating.

Another possible use of HBG (since you say you want no/low maintenence) would be to initially stock with HBG and fish that stocking as long as it lasted good, then add other species as the good fishing from the HBG diminished.

Ideas only. NOT a recomendation.

IMHO I would give a lot of thought to that initial stocking. You can stock smaller less expensive fish with no large predators in the pond. Once the large predators get established, you may need to do supplemental stockings in the future with much larger more expensive fish if you want many to survive for harvest later.

Good point. Once predators were in there to control any HBG offspring, could not effectively stock more small fingerlings. Like you said, would have to go to larger size stocking fish or up the numbers of fingerlings drastically to ensure enough survival from the established predators.

Yes, they are. They are a cross between white bass and striped bass, both of which are good to eat.

Yes, I plan to research my stocking plan quite thoroughly before finalizing pond construction plans, and hopefully break ground this spring. I expect I'll track down a local fisheries biologist eventually, but I'd like to inform myself as much as possible first.

I have had some tasty bluegill before, but it's so rare that I ever catch one big enough that I'd want to keep, that I'd wonder about how long HBG would take to reach full size in my cool-water pond. Of course year-round 60F water also means there's no cold winter season either. I've read RES can get bigger than BG, and would be curious if anyone would recommend them instead or in addition?

As for predators, my general plan has be to exclude LMB and use rainbow trout (we also have cutthroat available) as the main predators. Perhaps a few HSB might be fun too.

Still in the back of my mind are black or hybrid crappie. Despite all the small pond warnings here, I can't help but remember catching the biggest crappie I've ever seen out of a 1/2 acre farm pond in the midwest...

Are YP legal in CA?

Edit:

From what I could find on line, YP are legal in CA and are a popular fish to stock in Northern California ponds.

RES would be a great addition to your fishery, but primarily only as a bonus fish. They don't reproduce enough to offer much in the way of forage for your predators.

If you are going to have 60 degree water year round, you likely should be looking at some of the cool water species. YP, WE, trout, etc.

Some good threads on YP and cool water fish. Way out of my limited range of knowledge so some of the northern guys should be able to help.

I'll have to look into yellow perch. I don't recall seeing them as an option with local hatcheries, but I'm only beginning to see what's out there. I do do know Sacramento Perch are an available option around here. Anyone have an opinion of those?

Also, are YP good to eat?

IMO YP are one of the best tasting fish around

Have any of you put res in a pond by themselves and let them spawn then remove the adults and raise the fry to put in larger pond after they gain some size.

Max where are you in California and where can you get hsb around here.

Yellow perch are delicious. A smaller version of walleye, basically. They generally do require some aquatic vegetation, both to spawn, but mostly to avoid any predators you might also introduce. In many waters where largemouth are present and aquatic vegetation isn't prevelant, yellow perch can go nearly extinct.

I'd never heard of Sacramento perch. Looks like they might be loosely related to yellow perch. Not sure if that means they're habits and tendencies are alike or not.

I haven't actually called to verify they currently have HSB, but according to the CA public aquaculture list, I can see J&J Aquafarms (Fresno) and Golden State Bait (Merced) are at least registered to produce them.

Where are you located my pond is in lake county.

Humboldt