Raising the level, if practical, is likely one of your best options. You don't get rid of the old nutrient load, which can be a negative, but it sure avoids a lot of the problems that come along with cleaning it out.
If you do raise the level, by all means, get dirt from around the outside edge and slope what will become the new banks just as you would in a new pond. This will prevent you from having the same problem ten gears down the road that you have now. If you can raise the new level enough to put all existing shallow water too deep for weeds to grow, and shape the new bank areas at 3 to 1 and deep enough, I think that could be a moderate cost solution to your problem. In the new outter bank area you could also do whatever you wanted with new fish structure before it filled. That is if you don't mind managing your already existing fish population.
Last edited by snrub; 12/13/17 12:36 PM.
