Hi all, first post here. New to pond/lake management.

So to start, I live in south FL in a small development out in the country that has a sandy bottom 5 acre community pond that is approx 50 years old.

Back about 6 years ago the lake became covered with water lettuce in totality, bank to bank. It remained this way for a solid three years. Prior to this the lake was one of the best places to fish I have ever known.

The community finally decided to spray the lake to kill the Water Lettuce, but in the process it killed every last bit of aquatic vegetation leaving 90% of the bank and lake bottom barren.

During the years it was covered with water lettuce I believe the vast majority of the fish population died off. After it was sprayed I believe the remaining population died leaving the lake totally lifeless.

There were no signs of fish, nor could you catch anything, live bait, artifical, nets, nothing.

I moved back into the neighborhood about a 1.5 years after the water lettuce had been killed off and took it upon myself to revive the lake to its former glory.

In the last 3 years, I have released about 40 Largemouth from 1 to 5 lbs, twenty or so adult blue gill, several dozen wild shiners, and a few snook, all wild caught. All healthy, parasite and illness free as far as I could tell visually.

In the last two years I have also transplanted multiple crops of lily pads, cattails, reedgrass, cypress saplings, and water hyacinth. I have put in several well seasoned pine stumps and a sparring number of very well dried oak limbs.

I am happy to say that fish populations are present and healthy, both predator and forage, but not nearly as abundant as I would like. Unfortunately the banks remain mostly barren, with very very little aquatic vegetation.

The Lakes water level fluctuates dramatically with rain which led to the entire first crop of cattails drowning.

The lily pads I have transplanted are doing well, but don't seem to be spreading, even after a year of growth. They are planted in lake bottom.

I want to keep the structure and cover 100% natural, meaning no pallets, tires, 55-gallon drums, plastic, etc.


I would really like to add some timber structure as its results are instant, but I am afraid of using the wrong tree or method.

Should I even be worried about water contamination with a lake of this size?

The lake varies from 12ft to 1ft with an assortment of sandbars, two small islands with a shallow channel inbetween, and one deep corner that contains the 12ft area.

Would it be recommended to add hydrilla or milfoil?

I can supply pictures if it would help.

Thanks,
FPC