Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Snow removal over ice

Since I have a groundwater pond, the ice is typically 50%-60% as thick as the ice on the local lake. A lake 25 miles away had roughly 8" snow, 1" ice, 2" water then 6" ice. I keep a hole open that is about 30' in diameter at one end of the pond and that seems to be enough for the fish there. I have not had a winterkill in the pond. Two years ago when the pond area wend from 1 ac to 5/8 ac but the biomass didn't change much, I would run the aerator in the deepest part of the pond just enough to open up the ice there, then shut it back off. I kept the winter diffuser running 24/7. I was on pins and needles but made it through the winter with only removing roughly 100# of fish from the pond via angling.