Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Corrective stocking What limits RES in northern climate?

First off, congratulations. Big Redears are truly great.

Non-pro opinion here: Remember that it's not so much the severity or length of the Winter that matters, rather what happens down in the water. Long-lasting ice cover, as long as there is sufficient O2 in the pond for the fish (from clear ice or a small lightly aerated hole) will not lower the bottom temperature below 39 degrees F (water's densest point) in a nice deep pond.

Last Winter was a real tough one for my RES due to several late season cold spells after the main iced over period had passed. I had a number of Redears die because of two cold, windy stretches when high winds blew 20-something air so fast that ice could not form, and another time when 15" of snow fell on open water. I would have loved to have had ice cover for those three weeks - I lost some large Redears including the biggest one I have ever seen.