In my experience, a shallow pond is less than 3 feet deep and has weed problems. A proper average depth is 5 to 7 feet. Deep ponds have a tendency to create a thermal layer and trap oxygen depleted water at the bottom. There is a very strong possibility that come the fall rains, the top layer will chill down and sink. The bottom layer will come up. The fish are use to living in the top 3 feet and will remain there until they die and then they float. This may be the number one cause of most fish kills in Oklahoma ponds. In Okie land we say "the pond turned over". I have one deep hole (14 foot) in my pond so I put in a windmill aerator before I stocked. No problems. My Uncle has a very deep pond without aeration and lost almost all his fish late last summer. Another reason I like a shallower pond is for safety of the kids. I can remember being very young and not being able to swim. My brothers and I would "walk' across the pond by sinking to the bottom and pushing ourselves up at an angle, over and over until we reached shallow water. We were not too smart but had a lot of fun.

Dennis