Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Renovating a Pond or Lake? Please help me fix my pond

Appropriate strategy depends on your goals. What are they? Do you want a fishery of stunted BH in a turbid pond? Do you want a balanced fishery of BG/LMB/CC/RES? Do you want trophy BG or RES? Trophy LMB? Balanced fishery? Maybe something entirely different, like a SMB/YP/HBG/WE fishery? You can do anything you want, and we can help get you there, but you need to decide what your ultimate goal for this fishery is. Based on your response, we can align the proper management strategy to get there.

Again, if it were me, I would not sinking my time, effort, and capital into trying to save a 40 year old 3/4 acre pond with stunted BH population which is likely deep into the eutrophication process meaning lots of organic material, silt, and water quality issues. Too many factor going against you from the onset. But again, everyone is different, it's your land and pond, and entirely up to you. Regardless we are here to help you get wherever you want to go.

"Nuking" the pond means raising the PH to a level lethal to your fish community through the use of hydrated lime. The process generally is pumping your pond down as far as you possibly can with a trash pump and applying a slurry into the pond until the PH reads 12 which should be lethal for all fish, including BH I assume. Net the morts and allow the pond to dry to ensure BH are eliminated, and start over.

If it were me, I'd schedule a trackhoe to excavate silt/organic material and any other adjustments you want to make like dykes, points, underwater humps, beach, etc. When modifications are made, allow pond to fill and start establishing your fishery.