Pond Boss Forums AERATION Should I aerate? Alberta, Canada Trout Pond. Do I need to aerate?

I'm in the beginning stages of turning two dugouts on our property into trout ponds. They are dugouts from an old coal mine that was reclaimed decades ago. One of the ponds is 0.8 acres so it's roughly 200feet x 200feet and 18-22 feet deep (depending on water levels for the year but I have pumps and other ponds I can pump into it from). I want to put 100 rainbow trout and 100 brook trout in that one. The other pond is 1.8 acres but only about 12-14 feet at the deepest points. Averaging between 8-10 feet. I want to put 150 brown trout in this one. So my question is will I likely suffer winter kill if I don't aerate but I keep the ice surface clear as best I can?

PartyD, welcome to the forum! My post may be more of a bump for yours rather than advice. With the bump may come some additional comments, and wisdom from the experts.

Your question regards winter kill; but your post begs several questions from us. The trout will need well oxygenated water and some food through the winter to survive/thrive. What is there for them to eat while locked under the ice? The presence of so many (that's a lot of trout) will deplete the DO in the pond to some degree. Bacterial metabolism can be responsible for more of the O2 loss. How much if any muck is presently on the bottom of the ponds? You've got a lot of water volume so a lot of total O2 in the water going into winter; "it depends" how rapidly it is depleted.

How long is the surface typically ice covered? Are there oxygenating plants now growing in the pond? Planktonic algae? Sunlight passing through relatively clear ice could keep plants producing O2 some of the time.

If it were me and it isn't, I would set up aeration. A system could cost less than what you may spend for all those trout. When I had trout in my pond I could occasionally get them to eat at the opening my aerator created. They had no shortage of natural forage also, including but not limited to insect larvae, crawfish, small YP, LMB, etc.

Again, welcome, and keep posting. I'd certainly like to follow your journey with your 2 cold water ponds.