For trout smaller is better as it takes less cold water inflow to cool the pond. Your steep sides are a definitely a plus to keep warming down. That said, you would need a dedicated well pumping most likely 24/7 up to 6 months of the year and a place for the overflow to go. However, with a dedicated well -- with the water being aerated after it comes out of the well -- (packed column or simply splash it on rocks etc) keeping trout for the kids to catch year around would be a no brainer.
But if you don't want to go to the expense of a well you can plant trout seasonally when the water is cold for the kids to catch.
I have three 1/10 acre ponds. One was used as a holding pond last year where I held over 100 11 to 12 inch perch, 50 large bluegills, and thousands of fatheads. There was even some bluegill reproduction. I also fed the fish pellets although the perch went off feed eventually probably due to all the fatheads. Granted I took the most of the perch back out via hook and line -- mostly in early summer when I moved them back to their original pond after repairs -- but with a diffuser going nightly I think I could have made it work through the summer.
Presently a different 1/10th acre pond holds approximately 180 six to eleven inch male yellow perch (there were 200 but my nephew, his son, and I, took out 20 for a fish fry). And about 200 mostly female 6 to 8 inch bluegills. I'm feeding them heavily once a day with no problems so far. I run a diffuser in the pond at night and I have the pond dyed with aquashade. I will be thinning them out via angling over the summer though. IMHO the amount of fish you have in mind wouldn't be a problem at all.
It's not unusual for aquaculture facilities to keep up to 5000 lbs. of fish per acre (although 2500 is a safer amount), but they do do some serious aerating with massive surface aerators, and they maintain a safe algae bloom to mitigate ammonia levels.
Last edited by Cecil Baird1; 05/30/10 03:18 PM.
