Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Can Snapping Turtles Eat Healthy Minnows?

I went past my small detention pond (20'x 50')the other day, which is loaded with minnows, and I noticed a large, dinner plate sized, Snapping Turtle. I was planning on seining out the minnows as soon as the water level gets below the discharge pipe so they would not be stranded. Now my concern is the the turtle will eat them all first?

It can, but will it?
As far as I can see I doubt it will have any impact
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Chelydra_serpentina.html
But I have none practical experience, so you might get some other opinions her

Thanks for the link andy. Very interesting

I've had snapping turtles in ponds before. It will probably eat some minnows, but not enough to make a difference.

If you want to clear out the minnows, you could probably just catch a 11"-13" LMB and put it in the detention pond for a few days.

I want to catch the minnows and put them back in the main pond which is where they cam from.

You can actually feed snappers dead fish until you get your minnows out of there. They will scavenge and get a free meal vs. chasing minnows. I've seen them make the rounds on drainage grates before. And we use to catch them with big chunks of meat, mostly common carp. Go catch a common carp, slice it into chunks and put what you don't use in the freezer. Soon the turtle will be like a pet, almost eat out of your hand, maybe your hand also if you are reckless. At least a finger or two.

Ditto with what everyone else is saying. I wouldn't be to concerned with the turtle. Unless you put him on speed there's no way he's gong to catch many minnows.

I had seven cages of fish in one of my ponds and was initially concerned the turtles might chew their way in, and inadvertently allow fish to escape the cages. They did seem to be hanging around the cages. It had me a little concerned as I went to a lot of trouble creating a male only bluegill and female only perch pond, with female bluegill and male perch in the cages. Turns out my fears were ungrounded as when the caged fish were moved and the cages removed from the pond there was no damage whatsoever.

I think the turtles hanging around the cages had more to do with the stray pellets vs. the actual fish.