Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Smallest practical trout pond

Wood also has some good experience with growing trout in your region of Canada.

I think for your situation in Manitobia the pond size will be determined mostly due to if you have well water or spring water flow to continually feed the pond. With out fresh cool water inflow the deeper the pond will have to be, to maintain enough cool water to keep trout alive during the hottest part of the warmest summers. Most summers in your area will not be too hot for trout to survive at depths of 7-8ft deep. Occassionally but rarely you could get a hot summer and it could cause survival problems without additions of well water or spring water.

If you have a constant small flow of spring water then you can raise some trout in a pond as small as 6-8 feet in diameter and about 4ft deep (cement ponds). I saw guys do this in Pennsylvania and Michigan.

If you can keep snow off your pond with 20"-30" of ice you can raise trout in small ponds that are abt 8 ft deep without aeration throughout the winter in your area. Wood testifies to that. Read his old posts for additonal advice.