I built a new home last year. My contractor needed backfill for the remainder of landscaping. My ground has about 1 1/2' of sandy loam, then all clay. He dug out a pond(oval shape)about 1/7 of an acre. Its 18' deep on one end and 10-12' on the other. Sharp drop offs. As it filled over this winter, I put shiner and Fathead minnows in it in the last of April. In the first of June I planted 150 perch and 60 trout(40 Rainbow and 20 Browns) shortly after. Prior to the fish I built a cover of brush and small trees wired together and placed it in the 10' end near shore.

I have been feeding the fish with Silver Cup Trout 4.5mm floating pellets. The fatheads go nuts over the pellets. And the trout also. I haven't noticed the perch as of yet.

My question is when do I discontinue feeding the pellets this fall? Will the trout & perch naturally pursue the thousands of shiners and fatheads this winter?

That was my plan for winter food for them. And adding an aerator later this fall in the 10' depth.

I'm new at this and would like it to work. I'm thinking of having a 1 1/2 acre pond put in next year if this goes well.

TLC, welcome to the forum! You don't have to feed the trout during the winter, they'll eat the minnows.

BUT, when I had rainbows (RBT) in my pond a year ago for the winter, I had the diffuser close to shore, and fed the trout once a day, every day where there was open water. They fed very well all thru the winter.

So, it's your choice to feed or not to feed.

I would place the diffuser in a bit shallower water for the winter, somewhere in the 5 to 8 foot range. I ran a rope from shore to shore (to jeep the diffuser from floating around), and suspended a diffuser under a bleach bottle with a couple of bricks for weights. The diffuser was in 10' of water, but set to be 5' below the water surface.

Thanks

Keep feeding them until they stop feeding. The perch take a little while to get on the feeding routine and they dont feed well in the hot summer, but once fall comes they start feeding better.

OK!