I recently started to try to improve my old farm pond. Fenced it off and added aeration, also have a bunch of pond treatments sitting in my shop and ready to add once the weather warms up enough.
This is a small pond, around 100' by 200', deepest section around 12' and has been used as a cattle watering hole for ever.
A buddy and I dredged it about 12 years ago but never did anything else, literally has been a livestock water hole for decades.
I have been reading all these different post on here and have got the itch to throw some fish in it and see what happens. Question is, where do I go from here, should I test the water to see where I am as far as water quality or what? Are there any fish out there better then others as far as surviving a pond like this, Should I take a year and try in get it cleaned up then add fish? What should I do?
Thanks

Sounds like a good catfish pond to me, but bass would do good as well. I have fished lots of “stock tanks” on ranches around Texas. You’d be surprised how well fish can thrive in these ponds with very little human interference. I have caught 10 pound bass in little moss-covered mud holes that farm owners said “Don’t waste your time. It’s never been stocked.” You should see the look on their faces when I show them the pictures.

This reminds me of an experience as a kid. I built a large duck enclosure and put an approximately 12' diameter, 30" tall old swimming pool in it with a ramp for the ducks. I must have had a small striped bass get in with some plants collected in a tributary of the Delaware River. This pool got nasty over a couple years and I drained it to find a tubifex farm in the bottom and a very very fat 8" striped bass doing quite well. I could not believe it survived the green water and manure in the bottom.

If you have the wherewithall to dredge it again, that would sure help with potential excess nutrient problems down the road. You are likely to have some really fertile water to deal with, and getting rid of some of it in the beginning will make management easier later.

Thanks for the info.
I was kind of thinking cat fish, bass, or blue gill..

Snrub,
I don't really want to go as far as we did the last time. We broke the dam and drained it 100%, then took it right down to the clay base. I think the worst of it now will be on the two sides the cattle accessed the most, I was thinking that I could bring my backhoe in and work those sides a little. Probably have about a 16 foot reach with the machine I have here, it won't make for as good of a job but I think thats what I'm going to be able to do this time around.
Do you guys think the pond treatments I bought for "muck and sludge"removal will help me much? I know it won't be as good as a complete dredge but it sure will be allot easier and allot cheaper! LOL!

I would definitely not break the dam after only 10 years. I would test dig a little with the backhoe and see how much muck came out.

I can't help you at all about the bio additives. There was a recent article in Pond Boss magazine about it though.

I have BG, LMB, and CC in my main pond also and I like that combination. You need to harvest the CC as they grow or they can get too big and become unbalanced predators. I also have RES for snail/ grub control so that is another fish to consider if they fit your area. It may be PS instead of RES for your latitude.

FF, it kind of sounds like you are looking for "fast" fixes and changes. It takes months to years for bad things to happen, or to get fixed. Many people fall into a trap of treating lots of "symptoms" in a pond and never look for or treat the causes....Save your money on "pond treatments, watch and get to know your pond and watershed. Look for causes of anything bothering you.

Rainman

I realize its going to be a long process, but on the same page I want to do every thing I can to expedite the process as much as possible, no doubt there.. As far as the cause, the cows having direct access has been an issue, which has been resolved. Next process is to get my banks repaired, no some minor dredging from the bank with my backhoe and seed everything. But I agree, it will be a drawn out process for sure. As far as the treatments, they are bought and paid for, sitting in the shop, so that is kind of a done deal. We shall see..