All, been a while since I’ve been here. Brief summary, I have an 11 acre pond 40 feet deep, in west central Minnesota. I’ve always suspected that the fish do not occupy the deepest depths due to lack of oxygen.

When ice formed this year early and when cutting spearing holes for pike in mid-December, I noticed the water was clouded, first time I ever noticed that. Speared some nice 32+ inch pike by the way!! We had a lot of rain late summer and into the fall. I think a lot of nutrients got into the pond late into the fall. Thinking a bloom caused the murkiness.

About three weeks ago, the spear hole filled with sunfish and perch gasping for oxygen. Walleyes and pike were swimming with their backs near the bottom of the ice. Knew there would be big trouble, but there is no power to run any type of system near the water to keep the then 24” of ice open. It's probably near 30" now. I also live hours away. There’s still 2 months of ice to go!! Last week, nothing in the holes, saw a few sunfish laying on the bottom. So I’m sure I’ve lost my babies.

Definitely a little bummed the first day or two, but hey, nature takes its course. Now I see it as an opportunity. I’ve not really done anything to manage the pond to this point ever, but add some walleyes, which were coming along well, I might add. Caught a few on early ice, and they looked great.

There is quite a bit of vegetation, do I now begin this spring to control that more? I have a weed line at about 8 feet of water depth. In some places that's 60 feet, maybe more, out into the pond, should I start killing that back?

I’m thinking to add crayfish now, for some minor weed control and forage. I think I’ll add fatheads and lake shiners to the pond in the spring and let them flourish for a year of two before I add any kind of predator. I also want those minnows to kill mosquito larvae.

If I’m starting from scratch I’m thinking perch, walleye, and smallmouth bass. Toying with the idea of crappie, too. And down the road adding a tiger or two. But I have time to figure fish out.

Probably most importantly, how do I aerate an 11 acre pond in the future, once I start really managing fish down the road? Should I first begin to develop a plan to eliminate some of that anaerobic bottom material first? Bring electricity into the pond area as a first step?

Any chance something could survive this?

So, what do I do now, assuming this is now year zero for my pond?

I welcome thoughts from all of you. I look at this now as the start of a long term plan.