Josh-MI we need to talk!

You aren't far from me and I'd love to give help and perspective. Hopefully I can save you some problems by helping you avoid my mistakes. I'm on the SW edge of Grand Rapids. I stocked RES and they did not survive. Not sure if it was winterkill or disease, we caught them one year after stocking but never again. Bill can share research about lakes that were stocked and did keep a natural RES population but they are all in counties that are more southcentral and east in MI compared to Kent county where I live. I'd love to try again but sourcing RES in MI is not possible. You would have to drive them in from IN or Ohio.

I second the motion to get YP from Laggis. However I also strongly encourage you to spend time building forage base before adding predators. If you haven't started construction yet you have a lot of time to research and think while pond is built and fills. If you are still planning the location, depth, contours then you need to study the forum on pond building and be extra, EXTRA cautious you don't hire a 'dirtmover' or 'hole digger' or 'yep we built ponds before' type of contractor. Check out their work, check out other ponds they did and talk to the pond owners.

There is so much that goes in planning the site, preparing the contours, figuring out soil types, perhaps even adding a sealing agent while building pond if soils are not ideal clay. IF you have clay seek out a proper sheepsfoot roller system and talk to others.

There is ton to say about balancing a pond between swimming and fishing. They are kind of polar opposites but I'm sure you can meet somewhere in the middle. The best fishing pond and the best swimming pond cannot co-exist.

I'd like to share our efforts in sourcing fish, I may need some fish from Laggis and if one of us finds a way to get RES we can share resources.

I can explain more about HSB in MI although the sticking point is not the law but getting them. Fish haulers face penalties if they haul fish across state lines and don't follow all the rules. The rules about HSB are unwritten and hard to figure out. If you have no inlet or outlet then you are an exception to the rules but still there may be additional precautions to take.

Lots of forage options to discuss. If you can, use tilapia as forage and algae control. They get stocked in spring and die in fall so finding a local aquaponics shop that can supply you with breeding size pairs would really help.

I look forward to hearing more from you. Lets start with this. Can you share more about site prep, selecting dirt mover, and what your test holes showed? What is the surrounding property like?

CC