Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Renovating a Pond or Lake? MUCH NEEDED HELP

I have about a 3/4 acre pond that is about a max depth of 6 feet and an average depth of about 4. It once was about 13 foot. The fishing is still good in it but I want to deepen it to make sure it stays that way. What is the best way to do this without hurting the fish ? Stocked with bluegill bass and channel cat

Not a lot of easy options for deepening and rebuilding without removing the fish when the bottom is only around 6ft deep. As quick and easy as establishing a new fishery is in a new pond, I suggest you remove as many fish as possible, then drain and completely rebuild the basin - smaller, same size, or larger depending on your budget. You an quickly with proper fish and feeding grow catchable, havestable fish after just one summer. The 2nd & 3rd years, and good proper management, you begin to see great fishing 8"-9" BG and 2 to 3.5 lb bass for Illinois. You will not have as many fish in the old pond as you think. When almost all ponds are drained, invariably owners always say what happened to all my fish? Old smaller ponds rarely have lots of big fish. Best fisheries always develop in the first stocked fishes. Later generations the fish become too crowded and grow rates are not as good as 1st stocked fish.