Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Stocking a new pond.

Hi, I'm New to the site, and would like to learn as much as possible being a first time pond owner. I have a 1/2 acre pond, average about 16' deep. I have stocked FHM.so far. About 8#. I also put in 4 large pallets filled with rip rap and covered with chicken wire to hold the rock. The minnows are reproducing incredibly. I don't know what fish to stock next. Would like to catch fish to eat eventually

Welcome to the forum!!

Your pond is deep. What are the banks like? Gradual sloping all around or some deep holes? The soil structure? Is it a ground water pond or have outside creeks or streams flowing into it? Is there a dam or potential for overflow? Can you fill from a well or not? Any aeration in place or plans?

Is FHM the only fish in it?

You shared a great idea with us already! Many of us have pallets or stacks of pallets. The smooth underside of the pallet wood slats helps the FHM. But your idea to encase in wire and fill with various size rocks would give habitat for both FHM and for crayfish, brilliant! Do you have pictures?

If you share your ideas for what species are important to you and what you are goals are for catching and releasing or catching and keeping we can help with what fish and in what ratios. More importantly, how much time to put in between each stocking to get the sizes of prey and 'preyed on' correct can be suggested by others here.

Welcome!

Thanks for your response. The banks are gradual on one end, going from 5' snooping to the deepest section on the far end at 20'. The pallets are in 4 to 6'. I have made my own floating fountain, which is drawing water from one end and spraying out quite high in the middle of the pond. The FHM have been in for approx 3 months, and have multiplied to where if I'm on my floating dock, you can see thousands of every size, and they are being fed.besides the FHM, there are bull frog pollys, some crayfish, some salamanders, and many small frogs that moved in on there own. Just received a permit for grass carp, but have not purchased yet.As far as fish spieces, I would like to raise large BG, maybe some perch, but from reading here, I'm finding you need a predator fish to keep them in check. When to add what is where I'm lost.

With good structure to protect them, the FHM might stick around after perch or bluegill stocked. However many want to build the forage base and make it more diverse since you have the luxury of no predators and time on your hand to build up the forage base.

Check with your state regs, but consider golden shiners, bluntnose minnows, spotfin or similar related shiners, lake chubsuckers, and sticklebacks (many varieties may be available in your local streams and puddles).

Many find once the FHM are gone they are gone and then you need to rely on something else for prey to eat on. For example, if bass is the predator the bass can switch to bluegill but if bluegill or perch are the goal then they need forage, you would then only need a few carefully selected predators to keep BG and perch in control.

Also some sunfish/bluegill have less reproduction so are less of a management concern, as opposed to if you want big bass, you don't mind the bg making babies like crazy.

The NY pondboss members will probably chime in soon.

My pond is fed by a natural spring that provides 5gal per min. Min. That can go up quite a bit during rain. 50gal per min at times. My spill way is 12' wide rip wrap that is very thick and approx 12 inches above the highest water level. I suppose if a minnow wanted to escape they could, but even that would be very difficult. I'm going to try posting a couple pictures.