Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Creating habitat spawning beds

We had the 1/2 acre pond built 10 years ago in an existing gully that had a small spring(SE Indiana). The soil is very rocky and what isn't rock is clay. With this in mind I am thinking of getting some pea gravel for some bluegill spawning beds. Is it true the gravel should be in 3-4 feet of water? Is pea gravel the way to go? I will have someone do it with a backhoe so I can add plenty. The catfish are reproducing since we see small ones, but in the last couple of years we haven't seen as many small bluegill and I thought this would help. The large Koi are also spawning so I am worried the bluegill are getting crowded out. I have restocked the bluegill and also with shiners and minnows for the bass. Thanks

Bluegill love to spawn in pea gravel. Make beds in water no deeper than three feet, preferably less than two feet. I think it wise to put plastic or shadecloth or something similar on the pond bottom, the put pea gravel on top of the plastic, etc. Gravel will stay put for longer. Remember, bluegill are colony spawners, so put a large area for 20-30 crater-type nests to be made.
I'm assuming your bluegill aren't using the rocky areas you already have.

I work at a greenhouse and we use "SUNBELT" groundcover cloth that comes in 10',12',15' wide X 300' rolls. We used old pieces of material in 18-36" of water to create our spawning beds. Hopefully the material will keep the cattails from chokeing the beds. Covered them with 4-6" of common gravel and put some structure near by. There was constant activity there all season long. I hooked into a 3.5# SMB crusing the beds one evening on my 5-weight and a #12 nymph. WOW!!!! I haven't wet my pants since I was a kid.

That's exactly what I was talking about. Well, almost...except the last part...

Just a curiosity question. I am planning on building some spawing beds in my 1/2 acre pond this spring, but because of the bottom being somewhat soft I didn't just want to dump gravel into an area and see it dissappear. I was wondering if those childrens wading pools (the hard plastic variety) cut off about 6" high and filled with Pea Gravel would work? It would seem to me that the "pool" would keep the gravel contained and it wouldn't sink to deep into the softer pond bottom. Any thoughts? how many should I put in? I think they are about 6ft. in diameter.

Fozzy:

I like that idea and will do the same in some of our small ponds. I would suggest 6 of these pea gravel pools and group them in a cluster of three pools in a triangle. I would set another three 20' down from the first grouping. Place some heavy brush all around the pools to give the bluegill some shelter from the bass and make the bluegill more apt to use the pea gravel pools.

Dave