I'd beg, borrow, download, or buy every piece of pond building, pond management and habitat management literature I could get my hands on. Not just the physical dirt moving stuff, also the stuff on how to arrange the bottom contour and structure in the BOW (Body of Water) that would best benefit the fish that you might want to have in there.

Since you will have boat traffic, pay attention on any sections that target minimizing shore erosion due to wave action.

$$ spent now doing the learning and research will pay you back 1,000's of times over during your pond journey. I thought I had all the bases covered and I renovated my pond. 4 months after I finished I found this place and realized that I most likely could have spent 50% less money and had a better BOW to boot.


www.hoosierpondpros.com

[Linked Image from lh6.ggpht.com]
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3/4 to 1 1/4 ac pond LMB, SMB, PS, BG, RES, CC, YP, Bardello BG, (RBT & Blue Tilapia - seasonal).