Since your pond is only 15 yrs old, and if if does not receive a lot of tree leaves in the fall, and you are able to reguarly remove about 20%-30% of the deeper snow cover (>4") you will not need to aerate in the winter. For a pond of 1/2 acre and before the snow lies on the ice longer than 2-3 weeks remove several strips each 3'-4' wide across the pond this will allow enough light to enter the pond for the phytoplankton to create enough oxygen to keep fish from suffocating. When greater than 4"-6" of snow lies on a frozen pond longer than 4 weeks one needs to becomce concerned about loss of dissolved oxygen especially in the deeper depths. Whenever you are able to catch fish very close to the bottom while ice fishing, the dissolved oxygen is still adequate for fish survival.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 10/30/08 04:41 PM.
