Hi everyone, After years of a slow roll on permitting.. my 1-acre pond here in Northeast Indiana is finally complete and starting to fill! I’m re-opening my older thread to get your thoughts on my finalized habitat layout, forage base, and predator stocking plan. Pond Specs & Habitat Layout: • Depth & Slopes: Typically 3:1 slopes down to 8–9 feet. A 20% section drops to almost 13 feet. • Deep Area Structure: In the deep zone, there is a shelf at 8 feet with a 4–5 foot vertical drop down to the 13 feet. I plan to install 8–10 PVC Christmas Trees on this shelf. • Overflow: I am running a submerged overflow pipe down to about 12 feet to discharge the deep, less-oxygenated water. • Spawning Areas: On a west-side shelf with trees, the water is 3 feet deep before dropping off to 8–9 feet. I will place 6 kiddie pools at the top of this cliff (3-foot water depth). 3 will be filled with pea gravel, 3 filled with 1.5” river rock to serve as spawning beds. Also have a 15’ x 20ft pea gravel beach that is sloped at about a 6:1. Management Strategy: • Aeration: I plan to install a pond aeration system after a year or two. • Feeding: I will be feeding floating pellets only about 1–2 times per week. Fall Stocking Plan (When pond is ~50% full): • 6 lbs Fathead minnows • 2 lbs Rosey red minnows (just for fun!) • 8 lbs Golden shiner minnows • 80 Redear sunfish fingerlings Spring Stocking Plan: • 100 Yellow perch • 25 Smallmouth bass • 10 Hybrid striped bass (bonus fish) • 10 Walleye (trial basis, to see if they make it)
I would love the community's expert advice on this species mix, stocking timelines, rates, and whether you see any immediate red flags. Thanks in advance for your thought
