I am so pumped to have found such a great website full of information. I just purchased 10 acres of minnow ponds that I will be making one big lake out of. I will begin dirt work next month. They have some good depth to them already. I plan on making the depth right off the bank all the way around 4 feet and then drop to 10 feet with alot of ridges 4 foot in depth alot of places. Any advantage of having real deep water(deep for me.) like 15 foot? Or is this a waste of dirt work?
Hey Arg -- Welcome to Pond Boss.
These are just my personal opinions -- and my ideas frequently don't fit under the normal bell curve. So, just average them in with other responses you will get.
First, I would have to agree with TJ and Todd about several smaller ponds vs. one big pond. Several smaller ponds would allow a lot of diversity in planning and managing. With several, maybe one pond could be for monster bass. Another for monster bluegill. One could be a grow-out pond, and yet another could be for put-and-take seasonal fish like trout or hybrid striped bass. It would be very difficult to manage for two types of trophie size species in the same pond. It is also nice to have a protected place to grow special fish when they would be vulnerable to being lunch in a regular pond.
The thought of a 4-foot dropoff right at the bank is kind of scary for me to think about. If you, someone else, or even a critter like a deer should fall in, a steep and deep bank like that would make it very difficult to get out. If it were mine, I'd make it a little more gradual -- like maybe four feet of depth at about six feet out from shore.
As for depth, again it will depend on the size of the pond(s). Ponds will stratify without aeration or other significant water movement. The lower depths of the pond will become oxygen deficient and useless to the fish. The larger the pond, the lower the stratification levels. So it is something to think about. But 15 feet is probably a reasonable depth.
Send pictures. We love new projects. And hopefully, we can help provide you with some ideas that will prove worthwhile in your great sounding place.
Regards,
Ken
