Welcome to the Pond Boss Forum. I'm from NW Ohio. To me the pond looks to be a dug out pond. Often these ponds are not spring fed. From what I see in the photo, I doubt your pond is spring fed due to what appears to be a somewhat low water level. A spring fed pond should stay pretty full during the summer. Another indication it is spring fed is if it has a constant outflow which would be caused by constant in-flowing water from a spring or small spring fed stream.
Without cold water constantly flowing into this pond during June,July and Aug trout will die in these months due to water becoming too warm (abave 70F). A pond, even a deep one, without incoming spring or well water will almost always become too warm and stratify during summer. This is esp true in your region. Colder water near bottom in a stratified pond will in almost all cases lose its dissolved oxygen thus forcing trout into upper oxygenated water that is too warm for them. Larger Trout could annually be stocked in this pond in late September, fed pellets and fished until early, mid June when they will then die due to heat oxygen problems. Larger trout are relatively low cost compared to other similar sized sportfish.
If the pond has no fish, it could be stocked with alternative species combinations such as largemouth bass bluegill, largemouth and hybrid bluegill. or smallmouth bass and yellow perch. If the pond has fish then it can usually be monitored, managed and or supplimentally stocked to produce a good fishery. Help will be available here for guiding you toward a better fishery.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 09/30/09 09:29 PM.
