Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Creating habitat Forage fish hatchery pond

Consider at least one of the three forage ponds twice as large around 0.2ac. There has been prior discussion here about design of forage ponds for easy fish removal. Several members here have small ponds just for raising forage. Hopefully a few of them will provide advice based on their experiences so far.

Shape and depth should be essentially like a paint roller pan or slanted basin so all water flows towards one deeper end. Shallow one end and deeper at opposite end. You want to be able to easily drain and refill it even if it is by pumping. You want to be able to easily seine it when at low pool. Often forage ponds are completely drained for the winter and allowed to dry out to minimize muck build up and reduce the rooted weed growth of next year. Refill and stock early each spring.

I think a rectangular shaped slightly deeper catchment basin in the deep end for concentrating fish and/or easy seining - draining is a good idea. During summer it would be a good idea to have an aeration diffuser in the deeper water of the catchment basin to keep this deeper sump aerated and mixed with oxygenated water. If you build and use a forage pond please return later and provide feedback for members. Thanks.