Usually a well designed bottom diffuser aerator will destratify the entire pond. Situations where destratification tends to be more of a problem are ponds with islands, L shaped ponds, ponds with bays and fingers, long narrow ponds, S shaped ponds and ponds with unevenly shaped bottoms or with hole or pockets.
IMO before installing an aeration system one should know the depth of natural mixing of the pond or lake. Then aeration of these areas or sections (usually shallow) that are not stratify, do not need to be artificially mixed. Depth of natural mixing is usually the depths shallower than where the thermocline forms. However in special situations where clear, high visibility water is present natural oxygenation can occur below the thermocline.
Aeration of only a portion of a pond is probably better than no aeration. Some or partial destratification will make the stratification less stable and improve at least some areas of the pond bottom. Unstable stratification has its pros and cons.
And in a pond with creek arms of a depth up to 8' - what does one do in this scenario? I have around 2.5 acres main body, but another acre in creek arms running up to 300' and 40' wide. Would one place diffusers in the creek arms also, or just let those fish figure out where the "better" water is?
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