Several "country boy" ways come to mind. All assume some level of moisture.

The first is to make a ball and see if it holds together. Mike Otto, one of the owners of this site, is a pond builder. He said to let one of the kids throw a ball of it at his pickup. If it stuck he fired up the dozer.

It makes sense to dig a test hole with a backhoe and look at the dirt at various levels. You are trying to avoid sand and/or rocks. Neither hold water.

Cut a hole in the bottom of a bucket and fill it half way with your soil. Tamp it down. Then fill with water and see how long it takes to drain. There is no go/no go recipe on this but it will give you and idea.

You need about a 50/50 mix(this can vary) of clay and plain old dirt. This mix is loam and that's what you are looking for.

The NRCS should have a book about the soil types in your county and maybe on your specific area. Check with them.

Any more ponds in the area? Check with the owners about their experiences.

It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.

Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.

Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP