Thanks for reply. Yes, my area does get below freezing sometimes in the winter , but not usually cold enough for sustained periods of time, to cause the top of the pond to form thick ice.

I planned on trying the biggest species of crawfish I could find to stock the pond . Ive read that some species of crawfish , can grow nearly as large as lobsters, but I think most of those species are not here in the U.S.

My pond has a lot of large chunks of loose plate rock laying in it, under the water, so I figured that would provide good cover , and I can always throw in some pieces of pvc pipe for extra cover.

I assume there aren't much options for crabs/ mud crabs that are large enough to be edible and would multiply in a freshwater pond ? If I need to add aeration, that's not a issue...I have numerous solar panels and brushless pumps .

If I tried to raise tilapia , I guess I could purchase a large net to set on the bottom of the pond, and pull it out when it is time to harvest before winter sets in. If I tried Talapia , I guess maybe 40 of them would be a good number, for the size of my pond ..which is about 60 ft round and 6 ft deep ?

Would copper nosed bluegill and tilapia be a decent option ?

Last edited by rumme55; 12/22/17 02:10 PM.