3 acres. When I built it, about 30 to 40 years ago, I cleared a lot of oaks and cedars. Thinking it would make good structure, I piled a lot of it in the bowl. It took up about 10% of the volume. We got a huge rain which is unusual in my area. It filled about an acre. I immediately stocked fathead minnows, bluegills and crawdads. Life was good and I started feeding my fish. Then the water turned black; crawdads started crawling up onto the bank and dieing. Fish died. I caught some fish from a creek and put them in a bucket of the water. They died within days. I pumped for a week until the water got low. Then Texas summer sunshine took care of the rest. I called the TPWD and NRCS and neither of them knew about the oaks being toxic. They do now.

I also called a guy named Lusk who was starting a new black and white magazine called Pond Boss. I told him about it and he did know it due to education in water quality at Texas A&M.

Test for yourself by cutting a piece of oak wood and putting it in a bucket of fish. I have no idea whether oaks in your area have the tanins that mine do.

I now use cedars that are no problem to fish.

Last edited by Dave Davidson1; 02/03/24 07:06 AM.
It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.

Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.

Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP