Thanks guys for your answers. There are 3 trees all along the front of the levee. It appears that the middle and back were left open for access. Years ago it was used to raise minnows for a guy that sold them in his store. The lake has been drained since then so the minnows will not still be in the pond.

Feeding - I don't mind just to get things going, I would like for the lake to be self sufficient other then routine maintenance throughout the year... checking PH, etc.

Aeration - everything on the property is solar powered so probably not.. at least not enough to really amount to anything. I am considering adding a shallow well with a windmill pump. While the well water will not be great for oxygen, I can at least have enough fall to get a small waterfall on some rocks to hopefully add a bit of oxygen.

As far as goals, I am not trying to raise trophy bass. I enjoy making flies and like the idea of just going out and trying different flies, maybe keeping a few fish from time to time. My main goal is just to have a healthy pond. The levee has easy access so if the roots become a problem in a few years I can easily widen the levee.