Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Creating the food chain Reintroducing Minnows

Try and check the down stream sections of the creek where it is significantly larger, wider and deeper by 2 or 3 times. Those fish will at times (spring & high water events) move into the upper stream reaches for spawning. Whatever fish are in the down stream watershed are okay to introduce back into your local area of the stream. Stream habitat will determine if or how well the added fish survive.

Fatheads will spawn in stream situations and they prefer the slower backwater or pool areas. I catch them in minnow traps set in small ditches and streams along with other various shiners and chubs. You can set minnow traps in the lower bigger portions of your stream to see what species are present and move some of them into the upper area of the stream near you. Once you get a community of forage fishes surviving in the upper stream, then you can consider reintroducing trout or other sport fish to the stream.