Does your pond fill from surface water flowing into the pond, or does it fill from groundwater? I ask because it would be nice to get the water level MUCH more reduced.
I am NOT a pond management expert, but this question comes up fairly frequently on the forum. I believe most of our actual management experts advise that you get the water to the absolute minimum amount. No matter what method you use as the "poison", if you have one tiny refuge of a little cove, area with heavy weeds, small basin of deeper water, etc. where your poison is not perfectly distributed, then a small population of crappie, green sunfish, or other unwanted fish could survive in that refuge.
If the experts advise more draining, then you may have to buy a 2" or 3" trash pump. Do you live at the pond location? If so, much easier to drain the pond, since you will have to "babysit" the pump a little, and also do gas tank refills.
It would be even better if there was one very low "sump" in your pond where all of the water drained. If you could get your suction hose into that area, then your fish kill plans would almost certainly be 100% successful on a nearly dry pond. If you don't have a sump, then a little work with a backhoe or mini-excavator might really help (if available).
At this point, patience and doing it right to get a 100% kill rate is much more valuable than doing it quickly.
Good luck on restoring a 3-acre family pond. Down in Alabama, your new fish will grow very rapidly once you get them into a "nice home"!
