Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Creating habitat how deep is to deep for structure?

i'm new here and i've been reading your posts on structure.. my largest lake is 4acre/31ft deep.. what is the likelyness of bass being that deep.. would you reccomend structure that deep?? or would it be a waste of time.. unfortanatly i dont know the structure of the bottom yet for i'm a new owner of this lake.. but i do have a wireless deptfinder on the way ... so that should give me a good idea of whats already down there.

thanks for your help

-chris

Scroll down to "structure question" by TOPH2O posted in February. I think the rule of thumb is 8 feet and shallwoer.

thanks brian..... thats a good post.. just read it... now i just need to get that depth finder on that lake and map out the bottom.. also try to find out where the thermocline is..

thanks again..

-chris

I agree that most of the bass are in 8 to 10 ft. of water. However, I have quite often caught them 25 to 30 ft. deep. The same "deep" water humps seem to hold them fairly consistently. Don't know why.

Here are a few more notes about your pond's deep water zone (volume below the thermocline) that were not in the Feburary "structure question" posts.

As your thermocline forms in Spring the water below the thermocline usually contains ample dissolved oxygen. Fish can be in deep water then, but most will probably prefer the warmer surface waters. But as spring progresses oxygen is gradually depleated to levels where fish can not "breathe" any more; thus they all have to move up to the warmer top layer. LMbass and other "warmwater" fish are more "comfortable" in this warmer water anyway. Warmer is better for them, they "feel" better and grow better in warmer water until it gets above 92F. Then things get a little too hot. Anyway, after several weeks of oxygen depletion, oxygen is all gone from the zone below the thermocline. When oxygen is depleated from the deep zone if you don't get out you suffocate and die. This includes all bottom invertebrates clams, crayfish, sediment worms, insect larvae, etc. The deep area is now a "dead zone".

Since it is now late in the summer season, your thermocline will be located about as deep as you will normally see it, year after year. Below this depth do not expect to find fish at this depth or deeper because there will be no oxygen in the water for them; especially in a typical TX pond. Oxygen will return to the deep water for the winter, early spring seasons during the fall/early winter turnover.

Exceptions: Rarely, in some clear-water, very low productivity, deep lakes some oxygen remains in the water below the thermocline by late summer. You can recognize these lakes because they support year-round trout populations. This type lake occurs most frequently in northern states and Canada but a few occur in the south.

In a eutrophic lake, visiblity 18" or less and max depth of 30-40 feet, how long after the spring turnover do you expect to find a dead zone?
I just reveiwed my ecology text book on the matter of lake stratification and the resulting dead zone.
If light penetrates the thermocline into the hypolimnion then the rooted plants supply oxygen to all layers of the lake and you will have life throughout the lake year round. If light doesn't penetrate below the thermocline, you will get a dead zone.