Pond Boss Forums INTRO New Forum Member Introduction Newbie from Colorado

Greetings from Western Colorado!
Stumbled on this forum researching placing cut down trees (Elms/Cottonwoods) in a pond and thought I better start obtaining more information before doing anything like this...

Quick and dirty on my situation. Owner of a property that will contain an approximate 15-acre (surface area) gravel pit pond (I like to call it a lake but that might be stretching it at 15 acres but sounds better) with maximum depths around 20-22 feet. Up till March of this year (when the mining company started dewatering and mining again) the pond was full of water. We didn't own the property at this time (purchased the property about 8 months ago) the prior owners allowed me access to the pond for recreation (paddle boarding, swimming, etc). Since I didn't know much about the pond, I pulled measurement depths and sampled the water for e-coli (body of water about 200 yards from the Colorado River so a waterfowl pathway) and dissolved oxygen levels. A few other tests too that all came across acceptable. Can't recall the depth of clarity but seemed pretty good. Water source is ground water since located within gravels and cobble area (no surface influent or effluent discharge into the water). Overall seemed like it checked all the boxes for a future fishery and recreational body of water.

Moving into today, the mining company will continue mining gravels until September 2026 where they must stop mining and begin reclamation per my agreement with them. Sloping some of the shorelines, creating an island around the middle of the pond, creating some steeper drop-offs, establishing a berm around the low end of the pond to prevent certain fish from entering the Colorado River and removing all invasive species (russian olives/tamarisk). Also, only fish that was visible when water in pond and during dewatering where carp. I don't believe grass carp but common carp. Thinking since body of water has no in/out of surface waters only chance a fish may enter the system is by stocking or birds dropping eggs or something like that. The prior owners never stocked the water.

I'm currently building a ramp to a beach area in anticipation of water fill Fall of 2026. So many other ideas/plans that I'm consider implementing into the pond to create the best fishery as possible. Last year I began research on stocking, smallmouth bass and bluegill, and found online documentation on ratio and approach to stocking.

Sorry a bit long winded but want to start a 'To Do List' between now and when water fills in Fall 2026. Once water fills another "To Do List" on stocking and best management practices. BTW - fly fisherman the last 25 years but have gotten into spin casting the last 10 years since I have 2 younger boys and much easier to get them on fish!

Appreciate as little or as much information this group is willing share.

WindowRock, welcome to the forum. Good to have another Coloradan join the fun. There are still fewer of us posting than the number you can count on one hand.
I'm a bit south of you near Dolores; I'm guessing by your forum name you are near Junction and the Colorado National Monument?
You will get many, many ideas and answers from the forum regulars. Give us ideas about your goals for the lake. We'll call it that, as it's over 10 acres.
Get ideas of the water quality, fertility(possibly very low), temperatures throughout the year at depths from the surface to maybe 15' down. Can you see any vegetation whatsoever in the water?
Because there are common carp in the BOW, I'm assuming it is either considered a warm water or cool water, not a cold water pond. You might try sampling a few times for other fish. Try a worm baited small hook under a bobber, a couple of artificial lures such as a Rapala and a Panther Martin, and something for catfish after dark. Could fish possibly come up the outflow from the river during high water events? There could be small populations of just about anything that lives in the Colorado.
Junipers (aka cedars), cottonwoods, Siberian elms all will make good cover for fish. It's considered better to anchor trees so they don't move around to where you'd rather not have them.
And when you way the mining operation dewaters the lake, do you mean they pump nearly or all the water out of it? If that's the case, then when it is dewatered, that would be the appropriate time to kill off the carp and anything else if they are present.

Thanks for the response 4Corners.

Yes you got my location correct! BTW - I lived between Dolores and Cortez back in grade school on hwy 145. Good times, we had 40 acres, cows/animals and a small pond. Back when kids were kids and brother and I would spend dawn to dusk doing stuff we shouldn't be doing while parents were at work, ha!

Goals for lake. #1-Fishery. #2-Recreation. Lake not quite big enough for a big boat pulling wakeboarders/skiers but probably jet skis pulling tubers, etc.

WQ / Fertility? I assume because its groundwater source nutrients maybe low? Temps. Yes probably a cool water BOW. As you know GJ gets hot in the summer but with the lake being on the deeper side there is that change in temp as depth increases. I didn't pull water temps back when the lake was full. Nor did I test for nutrients.

Yes mining has dewatered the lake to only a small channel flowing at bottom and continuously being pumped so they can mine. Most of the carp (and any other fish) are gone by now, assuming birds of prey snatching most of them or maybe coons.

Since the lake is being pumped, at around the 12-15 foot depth there are a number of groundwater discharges flowing through the gravel/cobble seams. Probably 10 or so scattered throughout the lake. Haven't ran a bucket test on the discharge but if I was to guess avg. 10-15 gpm discharge. When lake was full and it was calm out, you could see water moving in all directions from the subsurface discharge.

There are many gravel pit lakes scattered along the Colorado River in western Colorado. All that I have fished (public & private) have a good amount of SMB and BG. Some have crappie/trout/etc. So I have to assume my lake can be no different with good management and setup.

Can't remember the last time the Colorado River has breached the lake perimeter, but no doubt it has happened in the last 5-10 years or last high water year that introduced species into the lake.

Thanks for the cottonwood/elm comment. I was worried about the acidity of those trees. Sounds like oak can create issues depending on the ratio of oak to volume of water...

If they are currently pumping the lake down, you might consider completely killing the fish and starting with a blank slate.

It seems wasteful, but you might have much better results on your Fishery goal if you have control of all of the initial variables.

You will probably need to hire a professional to rotenone a large body of water. (4Corners may know the Colorado laws.)

Pumping or draining the lake down will significantly reduce the cost of renovation. Know your options.

WindowRock, our home and pond is along Colorado 145 halfway between Cortez and Dolores on P.7. That would place it near to where you grew up. Probably we drive by your old place every day.
Our Department of Parks and Wildlife has gotten pretty restrictive about what fish we can stock these days. Within the last year or so they've put the kibosh on channel catfish! Why we cannot legally put tilapia in our ponds is crazy. There is likely not one BOW in the whole state where TP could successfully over winter. It seems just plain ignorance to prohibit pond owners from raising such a quick growing food fish.
I've had good results with tiger trout in our pond. They seem hardy, are beautiful, grow rapidly, and eat sunfish.
Please keep posting. Your dreams will be closer to fulfillment with the wealth of knowledge you can gain from this great bunch of people.

I did some research back last year about stocking and CPW regs. A permit is required no matter what fish you stock but with trout the regs are pretty minimal. But with bass/crappie/BG and such there are inlet/outlet control and berming. Required to ensure protection of the endangered species in the CO/Gunny, so they say. Since I have no inlet/outlet the only thing I would need to provide is berming. I know a few folks that have old gravel pit ponds along the CO and Gunny and CPW shows up prior to them issuing a permit and verifies a berm is present. I have berming in my contract with the mining company at time of reclamation so all good. Even though I'll have plenty of material to build the berm and the equipment (mini/skid steer/JD backhoe) the mining folks can knock it out in short order.

Yeah the dewatering of lake was a blessing for sure. I have till Sept 2026 to get all improvements complete which begins reclamation and filling of the lake. With no water in the lake gave me the opportunity to build a ramp/steps with boulders down to a beach area this summer. No way was able to do this with water in the lake. Fall and winter brings more projects.

My goal right now is to gather as much info from you guys as possible while no water in lake. Perform those projects while I have access and at this same time start planning for when water is in the lake and stocking begins. I think this winter will bring building artificial habitat. I have plenty of natural habitat laying around the property, downed trees, boulders, etc but reading things here and other sites artificial habitat seems like a great option.

I fly a drone about every week to document the mining and also a development project I have going just north of the lake. If I can figure out how to add pics I'll show you guys what the lake looked like prior to mining and now with it dewatered.

A few pics from prior to mining company dewatering and last week.

Your lake is going to be a beauty when finished!

Will be interesting following such a cool project. I have a small place in SW Colorado....I considered building a small pond, but after hearing about the regulations....and being spoiled by Texas...I think I'll pass and watch yours progress. Please post pics along the way.

Thanks all! Yea, as things progress and as questions develop, I'll for sure reach out.

I would spend the $$ and use Rotenone to kill any fish that are in there. It is a LOT less expensive to do it now then later after it starts to fill. Dealing with rough fish and the issues that they will cause down the road is a huge headache that you can avoid.

15ac? You can definately put a ski boat in there and pull skiiers. An inboard ski boat can turn a lot faster than an outboard. There are water ski schools in Fl that use a long narrow man made BOW with an island on each end to absorb the boat wake when the boat Turns. They are narrow enough that you have to stay in the boat's wake when the go around the island or else you will run aground if you are outside the wake. They have different lakes for different uses. Slalom course, jump, trick skiing.

Well, been since last November last time I jumped on the Forum. But now at the point that things are really happening!

Mining operator pulled their dewatering pump and lake is filling. As of today, the new portion of the lake (portion mining operator pulled sands and gravels out of since November 2025) ranges in depth of 5 feet to around 8 feet deep. Channels that were dug or originally present are +12 feet deep. Water is backing up into the original lake area with the submergence of vegetation that has grown since early 2025.

For habitat (spawning areas), built several artificial structures consisting of old pvc fencing and irrigation tubing. All set within formed out pea gravel beds contained by pvc fence railing. Placed them in varying depth of water, ranging from 2 feet to 5 feet. A steep drop-off occurs moving outwards into the lake so thinking this will be a great area for large fish to hang out and prey on smaller?! Also, created a large sand/pea gravel bedding area to see if fish like my artificial beds or just all fashion beds. Time will tell! Had the mining operator throw big logs and rocks into bottom or along the shoreline for added structure. Needed to get rid of them somehow so thought why not!

For existing fish that were in the lake, I removed most of the carp by bowfishing! They concentrated in the dugout channels near the dewatering pump so pickings were easy! Assumed some existing fish remain but decided against rotenone for the fact to retain frogs, crawdads, etc..

Colorado requires a CPW fish stocking permit, just got it today and scheduling stocking later this month or next month (weather dependent). LMB, BG, fatheads and grass carp. Hoping at time of stocking the lake has minimum depth of 10 feet with deeper depths of +15 feet. Once lake is full (whenever that is with the drought) there will be areas +25 feet!

Added a few pics of the artificial habitat, lake during mining operations and lake filling as of last Friday.

Now would be the time to add vertical structure to the deep areas. Looks like it's going to be a nice lake.