Bill D, would I want to put sand or pea gravel inside the dish then?
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My first choice would be to fill the dish with large rip rap or boulders. Second choice would be for spawning as the depth of the substrate at the outside of the disk will be very shallow and probably unusable. If you want to use it for spawning, I would go pea gravel to make it more desirable to more species. Keep in mind, I'm not a pro, just offering up what I would do.
Crappie minnows could be small golden shiners or FHM. Both will find a way to spawn in ponds. Sometimes these 'crappie minnows' are caught in the wild. Ask the bait shop where the came from - farm raised of wild.
aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine - America's Journal of Pond Management
Thanks Bill D. I just snagged a load of creek rocks from a buddies farm the other day. The sxs was squatting pretty good. I'll still need a couple more loads though.
My builder came out yesterday to flag the area. It looks like it will be a pretty deep pond. I asked him about a keyway and he said he would never build a pond without one. He also said he will put an overflow pipe in and an emergency spillway in. However, he does not use a sheep roller to compact the dirt.