Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Is 11-13' deep enough to keep fish ( winter-sum) ?

My wife and I are thinking about buying a lot on a 3-4 acre pond. The deepest hole I could find was 14-15 ft in one small area , but the avg is 12' The small coves are 8ft. Being in Cenral Illinois, is this pond deep enough to winter fish? The lake is only 3 years old and has been stocked from what I am told by the local conservation last year and I have seen a few bass swimming around in the 10" range. Any help would be appreciated before we make this move. I have fished many little potholes in my day that was 10' deep tops and have caught some nice bass out of them, so i would think I would be safe.

Welcome, Troy! Glad you found Pond Boss!

I'm not a fishing guru, but would have to say that you'd be very unlikely to have problems fishing a pond that size during the winter. We have a ton of people here who fish their ponds all winter long, through the ice or otherwise (some even like to go under the ice, though they claim it wasn't their fault and they were just trying to retrieve something! ) and their ponds are no deeper than what you're looking at. Some certainly have more depth, but that's a pretty average depth in my opinion, and fishing shouldn't be a problem at all.

Let's see what the others have to say.

Again, welcome!

Thanks Todd, I might of had the topic question written poorly, (Its been changed) I was wondering if that was enough depth to keep fish through the winter or hot summer months. Sorry for any confusion, and thanks for the answer.

Troy

I've always been told that in your (our) area you need to have no less than about eight feet to reduce the possibility of winter kill. It looks like what you are looking at would be fine.

Bing

I second Bing, you'll be fine. I had 7' depth in my pond in one area, without aeration and it winterkilled. The next few years I aerated and was fine. Now it's 'bout double that depth.

I agree with Bing - I can't see any reason the depths you've mentioned would be inadequate. I'm not in your direct climate, but we're probably not too different in terms of latitude so the weather patterns are probably similar. I've got one pond that has a deepest point of around 6 feet is all and it has held up nicely for decades. We just bought the place last summer and had a harsh winter with ice on the pond most of the season and had no problems. As well, the pond averages 2 - 3 feet deep over most of the rest of it and it gets pretty hot in the warm months but, again, no issues with mortality. I think the fish will be fine and, if there are any already in there, I'd say that's pretty good anecdotal evidence that the situation works! Let us know what you decide, and then post some pics once you get settled in on the water!

Troy Todd – I understood your question right from the start. No worries there!!

The depth of the pond sounds more than adequate for fish over-wintering without a problem. Depth, though is not the only criteria, Could you give us a little more information about the pond? Is it a pond with a dam? Is it a pond dug into the water table? Anything additional would be helpful for a more substantial answer.

Welcome to the Pond Boss community! There are a lot of passionate pond people here, including me.

I'm in the Great White North (Ontario, Canada) and our pond is only 10 feet deep at the deepest point. We do have fresh water from an artesian well flowing into it all year round that is a constant 46 deg.F. This keeps a small section open in the winter and also keeps things cool in the summer. We have 9 different species in an approx. 2 acre pond. No problem so far and the pond has been here for over 30 years!

The cooler bottom water is nice for the Trout and the LMB like the warmer shallows.

Dwight --- It does have a dam with a overflow, which is at its highest right now with all the rain we have been having. As far as the water table, that I am not sure. From what I gather, it used to be farm land (Hay) It appears and the developer decided to dig out an area and put homes around it ( 2 acre lots ). It has a peaceful country feel , but with a neighborhood which would be great for the kids. I would feel more comfortable if I knew the lake had been there for awhile. I did notice a large school of bluegill swimming towards the top the other evening. A resident said that the bluegill are almost big enough to keep already. That sounded promising !!!!! I wonder what they thought today when I slipped a kayak on the pond ( can I call it a lake? ) and checked the depths using a hummingbird fishin buddy ! : ) Thanks to all that have answered my post !

Troy