Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Corrective stocking Red Eared Sunfish in N E Iowa?

Hello all. I have a one acre pond in NE Iowa that us currently 2 years old. I have stocked LMB, CC, and HBG. These are all doing very well. I hand feed and run a diffusion aerator 24/7. My family, friends, and I also like to swim in the pond. I have noticed some snails along the rocks as of late. I also have Giant Canada Geese that frequent the pond although I try to keep these off as much as possible. Wondering if I am too far north for stocking some red eared sunfish for snail control?

Doc, do any of the public waters in your area contain RES? If I were going to attempt it, I might try and find a hatchery that is local and has fish more acclimated to my seasonal water temps.

My cousin has RES in his pond and it's on the IL/WI border...so I'd say at least based on that you're fine. According to the distribution charts I see online they are all the way up into WI as well.

Doc - Compare your latitude with that of locations on the map including Michigan in the link.
http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?SpeciesID=390

http://roughfish.com/redear-sunfish

Keystone Hatcheries in Richmond IL carries RES - and they're right on the WI border. Depending on where you are in NE IA that might be an option.

Doc,

Keystone carries both RES and PS. Both eat snails although I understand the RES are considered better control by most folks. The PS can take colder temps though if your concerned.

Keystone redears are likely raised in AK; the major supplier of most fish farm RES. Expect some to die during winter conditions in IA. Some individuals should survive which over time will gradually become more tolerant and adapted to IA winters. If you get RES from Keystone ask if they are their hatched RES or were they sourced from Arkansas.

Thanks for all the input guys. I know there are populations of RES in the Mississippi River. I am thinking there are some populations of RES in some of the public waters but these are not stocked by the DNR in out state so the info is patchy. I think I am going to give them a try. I will contact Keystone Hatchery to see where they source their fish from. Thanks again.

Doc,
I am also located in NE Iowa and have a pond similar to what you describe, only a little smaller at about 1/2 acre. I am approx. 25 miles north of Cedar Rapids. I had a pretty healthy snail population a few years ago and debated the RES too. I ended up stocking some. I have never caught one of them, but have not really fished specifically for them. I am pretty confident some have survived though because I do not have any snails in my pond now from what I can see. I purchased mine from a fish hatchery in West Union, Iowa and they came from Arkansas.

Troy thanks for the reply. I usually get my fish from the Frey Fish Hatchery there in West Union as it is only about 20 minutes away. So that should work out well. What time of the year did you stock them?

I believe it was late May or early June when I stocked them, I can double check when I get home today. You might want to give Frey's a call, as I think they only make a trip down to Arkansas once or twice a year to get them. I remember ordering mine in the early spring and he gave me a call a few months later when he got back from picking them up from down south.