Hey everyone,

It appears that none of my fish successfully spawned this year. I walk around the pond and see no fish smaller than 4”. I figured maybe it was too early in the year, but I was at my friends pond today and they’re are small 1-2” fish everywhere around the outside of this pond. Hundreds and thousands of minnow sized bluegills.

This leads me to believe that something is wrong in my pond, but I’m not sure what’s up. The temp in the pond was measured at 74 degrees today, and it’s been in the 70s for about a week.

Here are my questions:
1. Would it be past years spawn that produces the small 1-2” fish I see in my friends pond (bass & bluegill pond) or would that be fish from this year?
2. I have a huge weed problem this year. My pond is inundated. Basically every square foot of the surface is covered with weeds and algae. We’ve been waiting to remove it because I wanted to let the fish spawn in peace… but I’m wondering if it’s possible to have too many weeds for the fish to spawn?
3. I’ve also noticed the water seems browner this year than in previous years. More sedimentation, less visibility. Could that be a factor?

Not sure where to start with fixing this pond. I added the bluegills last spring and would love to get them reproducing. Didn’t get much last year, and not looking like we’re getting much this year either. Any thoughts?

Thanks.

Dan, my neighbor has a virgin 1/5, maybe 1/6 acre pond that we've been developing for 9 months or so. We've put in 85 mature bluegill to date and 20 lbs of fatheads. The bluegill stocking started in August of 2021, so there were mature bluegill in the pond over this previous winter. You can see them feeding.

Not a single nest seen. In my other two ponds, one of which is less than a quarter mile away, there are moon craters everywhere with a male on the nest.

So, it's all different from place to place. Keep watching. This neighbor's pond is about to be bursting with fatheads of numerous birthdates. Waiting to see if I can ID anything as a bluegill frye.

Dan,

It should only take 30 to 45 days to grow BG from hatch to >1". If they grow slower than that ... the survival will be low.

Lot's of things can interfere with spawning success but very important on the list:

1. Parental condition. (If not in good condition males will eat the eggs)

2. Food availability at swim up. (For fry this requires bloom and zooplankton to consume)

3. BG standing weights. (Standings weights in the range of 40 to 60 lbs will have greatest fry survival).

The presence of so much pond weed means that lot of the nutrients that could support phytoplankton and zooplankton is being intercepted by the weeds. Not saying you won't see BG spawning success but these factors could reduce the number of fry produced to 1" and longer lengths. If you have a lot of small bass, they could consume most of them such that those that are produced are consumed when young. BG also eat BG fry. Additionally BG hamper reproduction by raiding nests for eggs and sac fry (particularly juvenile BG in the 3" to 5" lengths).

I would think it's a little early for BG to spawning in upstate NY, if anything they should be just getting started, any idea what your current water temps are? IMO the 1-2" BG you are seeing in your friend's pond are last years late spawn BG that survived the winter.

Yep, too early for BG to spawn. Here they are spawning when the cottonwood trees are letting the seeds go. I would say look in the pond a few days before the full moon in June.

14;30-14;40 of daylight is trigger time in most areas if temp is right.

EDIT: Just looked at Utica.. 15:06, thats 25 min more than I am right now but my WT is 72...

I've worked in upstate NY, between Syracuse and Rochester. There were lakes of varying sizes on that private preserve. In the smaller ponds, their bluegills didn't spawn until early June, and in the bigger, deeper lakes, it could be as late as July. They spawned once per year and grew fast. When we started a limited supplemental feeding program in the second year, (with a high protein feed), we saw fish in better condition and two spawns in small ponds. In the water with heavy spring vegetation that invaded the best spawning areas, spawning was reduced...the bluegills couldn't efficiently get to their beds. Just for giggles, we raked some plants (curly-leafed pondweed) off from known spawning beds and the bluegills came right in and did their business in two feet of water. I believe timing was important for that. If we'd waited another week or two, odds are the fish wouldn't have spawned.

Here's my parting shot from lots of years messing with fish...just because you can't see them doesn't mean they aren't there. If the neighbor's bluegills have spawned, yours probably have as well. It could be that you have much better escape cover and habitat with good food that your fish don't have to come to the edge seeking protection and a cafeteria.

Was thinking the same thing, with a lot of vegetation on the pond they will not necessarily be as visible along the shoreline, especially with the absence of predator fish they will be scattered a lot more. as I understand it your predator fish have not been introduced yet?

Thanks so much for your feedback. I'll try to answer a few of the questions that have been posed:

- As mentioned, the water temp is already mid 70s and has been for about 2 weeks.
- The vegetation is VERY thick. I'm guessing this is a problem, based on Bob's comments. We have started mechanically removing some of it with the rake. Hopefully that will open things up enough, if we haven't missed our spawning window yet.
- This is an old pond, and we do have some predators in there. I removed most of the bass last year with hook and line, but there are some still swimming around. I've seen them posted up in the shallows for their spawn. With that said, there shouldn't be TOO many bass. I removed 30 or so from our 1/2 acre pond last year. That should be the vast majority, I think.

Sounds like I need to be patient and keep an eye on things. Thanks again.

Good news. Looks like I was premature with my concern. My shallows are covered in moon craters now that we got some of the weeds pulled out. Should have a nice spawn after all hopefully!

Yowza!!!