Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Creating habitat Pond Size & Fish

Hi, I'm wanting to have a pond put on my property. I have a little over half an acre to designate to the pond. So my question is what edible fish variety can be kept in a half acre pond sustainably? I've read that bass need at least an acre so I've ruled bass out. Also, I can't eat catfish so they're out too. Please advise.

I'm no expert, but with a small pond like that since you ruled out bass and catfish, I would say try bluegills they are very good eating, once they get big enough.

Feeding the fish pellets will allow more options including bass. Are you willing to feed the fish every 3-6days?

If one is not interested in growing big bass one can easily grow LMB in a pond less than one acre. The rule of bass needing one or more acres is not a cast in stone rule. It all depends on ones desires, needs, or goals.

Hybrid bluegill? Not sustainable though, I guess.

HBG would work okay if you fed them pellets and periodically restocked as you harvested them. Before choosing that path make sure that you can buy restocker HGB in your area that are 4"-6" so the bass do not eat the restocked small RES. Don't expect the bass to grow much larger than 12"-13" long on a diet of HBG unless the bass eat pellets.

Sorry for my delayed reply. I didn't realize that i had replies. I was hoping to not feed the fish pellets and not restock. My goal is natural reproduction and them feeding naturally. Is that possible?

Greer, welcome to Pond Boss. BTW, there's nothing new or unusual about your question.

Yes, it's possible for a couple of years to have a sustainable/do nothing pond. You stock fish, they spawn and 97% of the babies are eaten by the other/larger fish. However, at some point, they will over spawn and fail to thrive. Oxygen depletion occurs and you have a die off of 97%(or some #) and it all starts over. Cleaning up after a kill isn't much fun.

In parts of East Texas, pine tree country, there is a reasonable chance that the water will have to be fertilized. Prior to fertilization, you will need to add lime. In other words, a lot of East Texas land and water is infertile without human intervention.

I liken this to rabbits in the field without coyotes. The rabbits reproduce and do nicely for awhile until they over eat the grass. Then, they die off and the cycle continues. All prey needs a predator.

I have never seen a REALLY sustainable pond.

I've caught a LOT of eating size LMB out of ponds a good bit smaller than an acre.

Sustainable population accounting for fishing pressure? Not sure about that. But they'll absolutely grow big enough to eat in a small BOW.

I think you can have a sustainable population of LMB/BG. You as the ultimate predator of the LMB numbers just have to watch their relative weights to determine to take out more or less. Same with Bluegills.

I think it's doable as long as you remember to keep harvesting the fish, but don't overharvest either.

I have a feeling most guys use their ponds for a sort of fish hatchery instead of what I think the original poster wants: sustainable natural ponds.

I am a pretty hands off pond manager with my 1 acre pond. It is a classic Midwest pond with BG, LMB, and CC. I would probably leave the CC out if I did it again. They get big.