Mike Otto and Bob Lusk (Pond Boss partners and owners) suggest raising the dam if you can, to expand a pond.

I may have missed what fish might be in that pond. If you have fish in your present pond, they probably will be severely stressed (like mortality) with heavy excavation.

Several years ago I raised one of my ponds by only about 8 inches by adding to the stand pipe (drain).

Because this pond had been very well designed and constructed, I didn't need to raise the dam. The drain is still about two feet below the emergency overflow at full-pool, and about four feet below the top of the dam.

The pond isn't now very much larger than before adding the 8-inches of water, but it is much healthier. It caused the sides to be steeper all the way around. I now have virtually no water weeds, except for some desired and beautiful water lilies growing in about 3-5 feet of water.

As for a second pond -- that would be my vote. In my opinion, you can add a lot more diversity and fun by having several small ponds instead of one big pond. The exception might be if your pond could be over about 20-40 acres. Most of us don't have that luxury. Based on your description, that doesn't sound feasible.

Bob Lusk has published a "Mini-Pond" article in nearly every issue of Pond Boss Magazine. These are truly mini-ponds that are usually 1/10th acre or smaller.

Cecil Baird, who has been active here on the forum for about a decade. He raises incredible trophies in 1/10 acre ponds.

My most favorite pond is my 1/3 acre put-and-take pond stocked with Hybrid Bluegill (HBG), Hybrid Striped Bass (HSB), and Channel Catfish (CC). The pond is in its fourth season. The HSB reached trophy size in less than a year. There are many CC and HBG are at or close to trophy size.

A put-and-take pond like this does need to be stocked every season with enough reasonable sized fish to provide the next generation, yet they need to be big enough to not become snacks for the older fish.

Ask lots of questions.

Ken

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