Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Creating habitat Ideal Construction Features/Habitat - YP & WE

Well here is my story if you so choose to read.

My wife and I bought our farm in 1993...Wish I had bought two but eh. From the day we completed the transaction the lay of the land needed a lovely pond in the front yard.

I had and have the same goals as you for the pond. I have spent years and year reading and planing our pond. Using my fishing experience and what I have learned here my wife and I designed our own pond right down to the last detail. A year ago now this past spring we pulled the trigger on it can built the pond.

The shape is kidney shape for maximum wave action.
There is a shallow ridge between two deep ends. Ridge has pea stone and chips for spawning.
One deep end is 16 feet and other 14 feet.
Water fall 10 feet wide 8 feet tall with river rock at bottom of falls. This is the hope walleye will spawn at least the shiners will.
The shore line is all 4" rip rap crushed concrete. High PH and sharp edges for the FHM to spawn on as well. Crayfish love this for their shell growth (high PH) and hiding places.
Shallow ridge is to be covered with Lilly pads and brush piles for perch spawning.
Rolled in a few 3 foot X 4 foot concrete tiles for hiding areas for large perch and walleye.
Shore line has evergreen trees around but two maples. Just want to limit the leaves in the pond. Trees arranged on sun set side to shade the pond on the shallow ridge as best as we can. Perch like to eat around 45 mins before sun set.
Pellet trained perch to allow the minnow stock to grow as best as possible. Feeder placed on the sun set side of the pond to maximize feeding time.
Two air stations one in each deep end.
Waterfall runs on a 12 hour timer running at night. Pond fill to manage full pool is pumped in over the water fall with floats switches.

All I can say is maybe its the engineer in me but it all works and works very well. I have never seen so so much life in a pond so fast. We have friends with ponds that do not have one quarter the life we have... but we feed our fish and other do not. BIG difference the biggest of all.

Building it is the easy part. Managing is the fun and difficult part.

Cheers Don.