Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Feeding Feeding in North

Couldn't find the answer when I searched but know I have seen some suggestions in PB. I am in Western NY and have a 1 ac pond with LMB,BG,YP and catfish. Feed once daily at 7 pm and have a vertex for aireation. When would you stop feeding to decrease any chance for winter kill?
Thanks, Ted

Tell us why you expect a winter kill under the facts provided. That will help with our answers. In general BG and LMB eating starts to slow at 55F and drops to low levels at 48-50F with some local adaptation. On the other hand YP will eat all winter - my guess on pellets to the mid 30sF.

I believe I remember reading in PB that one has to be careful feeding in the northern US so as not to have too productive of a pond. The more productive the higher chance for problems. For that reason I thought there might be some relative cut off for feeding.
Had a winter kill 6 years ago, but that was before I had it cleaned out and enlarged, now 1/3 is 11' and 2/3 5'. I put in an Air 1+ this spring. I am at about 1500' and in a snow belt, so some of the winters can be pretty harsh.
I don't need to have the largest fish in the north, but like to feed to help growth rates. Ted

It is much the same reasoning behind why you shouldn't fertilize a northern pond.

Several northern-state DNR's specifically advise fertilizing, including a regional Aquaculture resource center for several states including Montana, Washington, South Dakota, etc. I think it depends more on the individual pond's natural fertility than a blanket rule. If you have a pond that is naturally very fertile, fertilizing could be a very bad thing in the North; if on the other hand you have a pond with not much in the way of plankton, it doesn't make a lot of sense to me to deprive your fish because there are other ponds hundreds of miles away (or five miles away) at your same latitude that have more plankton naturally and are thus not good candidates for fertilization.

Just my $.02.

TedW start with this archive on winter kill. http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=108197#Post108197

Then we can go from there with your situation. You will notice from the link that trophic state is one of several factors that effect the situation. IMO it is not the main reason for problems. Fertilization and fish feeding are minor factors unless you have a hatchery type production facility.