Our new pond is just starting to slowly fill. It has plenty of structure in it water is now 5' at deep end and about 1' at shallow covering maybe 1/4 of an acre over clay bottom.
When pond is full it will be over 20' deep end and around 15' shallow end over an acre in size.

Have had some water in it for a couple months now...rain filling. Seeing some water bugs and algae....is it OK to add some fathead minnows and golden shiners now? Was thinking ten pounds of each to start.
Was also thinking of then maybe adding more later this fall and maybe 50 redear if water keeps going up? Am I getting ahead of myself?

Thoughts?


Hopefully over winter/spring pond will come up to over half full, was thinking more minnows and shiners in spring with more redear some type of BGH and perch then? Maybe start adding some small bass and channel cats by next fall?

Just add FH and now is good. Wait on GS and sunfish.

Thanks

I think 10 pounds is a little on the high end, but I don't think you'll hurt anything by adding that many. If you have around a quarter acre pond right now, you can probably get away with just 1-2 pounds. They will still be spawning this time of year in Ohio, and will be for a couple more months. With no predators, your 2 pounds will quickly turn into 20 pounds.

You could get by with less but 10 lbs is good. Especially considering the time and cost to transport , pick up and put in.

I don't know exactly what you mean by structure, but you will get a lot of mileage out of putting some pallets in the pond with the stocking of the FHM for them to lay eggs on. I would consider tying the pallets to higher ground and just re-secure them as the water rises. They will love them and make many many more before the season is over.

Got my forage fish in this past Saturday, so next spring they should be established strong.
Coolest thing was at the hatchery they had paddlefish for sale! Very cool to see, I didn't even know that was a thing for ponds.