Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Help Fishing limits

Do normal fishing regs apply on private ponds? Like say, you go to a private pond in ohio and take more than the limit in bass, some undersized. Would there be any issues with that? I'm under the impression that you take as many and what size you want on private ponds, because you stocked it.

Don't know about Ohio. Check with local game or fish/wildlife commission. Here in MO, I bought my fish and own the pond and surrounding property. I can manage the fishery the way I desire. At least so far CMM

That is what it is like here in Ontario. You need to leave a bit of skin on the fillet if flayed up so they can ID the fish and you need to give the location you fished the fish from.

A nice way around most of this reg is to set up a small hunting/fishing club and have members. The members can then help with your fishery and enjoy in its bounty.

Cheers Don.

That's the way it is in Indiana too. It used to be in New York you had to have a fishing license even for your private pond, which sounds bizarre to me. Not sure if that is still the case.

Every state is different. Lets look at it from the opposite side of the coin.

If you are visiting a friends pond, and kept 10 LMB because he needs many removed because of a LMB overpopulation. You have LMB in your cooler 10"-14" long. Your state has a 6 LMB limit, minimum size is 14" on public waters. During your drive home you pass by a public lake. For whatever reason you are stopped by the fish police. What do you think they are going to say?

I'd make sure I had a picture of at least one fish with my buddies pond in the background.

Save your receipt! F&W can come ask for it at any time. I doubt it would ever happen, but they have the power to do so.

The game warden here stopped and asked by brother for the owner of property and all that while fishing a private pond. Certain regulations apply to ponds stocked with fish from the state hatchery. All this is in Oklahoma.

Call or email your state DNR or whatever they call it there.

In my state you still must have a fishing license. And I'm pretty sure the state fishing regulations are in effect. Like size limits or creel limits, and seasons.

Just like if you own a farm or land, you have to go by the hunting regulations and seasons, and limits, you can't just hunt anytime you want and take anything you want.

In New York you do need a fishing license and need to follow state defined limits, this is the case for a stocking permit pond.

If you have a farm fish pond license, entitling the holder to manage the pond for the production of fish including control of undesirable fish and aquatic vegetation, releasing, stocking, and propagation of fish. Holders of a fishing license or persons entitled to fish without a license may take fish from a Farm Fish Pond subject to General Angling Regulations open seasons, minimum size limits and daily creel limits. Laws pertaining to seasons, size limits and daily take also apply to owners of private fish ponds unless a farm fish pond license is obtained.

Bottom line if you just want to stock you need a Stocking Permit, then follow the normal fishing license rules. If you want to stock and manage then you need a farm fish pond license. There is a restriction on which species you can stock and also how you can catch fish.

I just went through this with the local NYDEC. Definitely contact your local office to find out the rules.

Wow reg's for you and you own land. Good times in NY. Here in Canada when ever there is a regulation added it is made clear why the regulation is in place. I do not understand NY control here unless they stock your pond for you free of charge and manage it too.

Cheers Don.

I've had numerous people suggest to me that in WI there is a need to have a Fish Farm registration as well.

http://datcp.wi.gov/Farms/Fish_Farms/Registration/?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

Here in NY, first they would need to actually have someone in the field looking for violators. Mostly I believe these guys are buried in paperwork, or on the big lakes, so the law is largely ineffective. Good luck coming onto private property and telling the owner he has too much fish from his own pond that he fed and paid for. That wont end well for either party.

The problem with this state is the NYC dwellers like to dictate the rest of the state since they have this notion we all live the same city lifestyle. It is a result of not enough power in votes in upstate to overcome city mentality. So upstate we wind up with laws that may make sense in a highly congested downstate area, but are horrible for those of us in the sticks.

gavinswildlife

In Kentucky,I don't think you'd have a problem keeping/eating undersize fish(bass) as long as you lived on the land with the pond.

I had my pond electro-shocked by the fisheries division a few years ago,and requested a permit to keep bass under legal size. It arrived in a few days, and I posted it on my dock. When friends fish they know I want them to keep bass under 14". Although,they still have to abide by the state limit on the number of bass kept.

An 8 acre pond at my sportsmans club has a slot limit,(keep no fish between 12'-16') that encourages fishermen to keep the small ones.
I had the state biologist send us that permit years ago.

I get more cooperation from Ky dept.of fish & wildlife,than I do from our members! They simply won't keep little bass.
Get on your state's web site and see if you can find the name/contact info for your local conservation officer or game warden and call him

If a boat show is coming in your area,(like Cincinnati boat & travel show last week), they'll likely have a booth staffed with officers who can answer your questions

"Certain regulations apply to ponds stocked with fish from the state hatchery. All this is in Oklahoma."

Same in Kansas. Bookoo regulations and have to let people fish your pond in Kansas.

That is why almost no one uses state hatchery fish in Kansas. The regulations are so onerous no one wants to abide by them.

It is my understanding for Kansas, in a private pond that does not have a stream running into or out of the pond, stocked with private raised fish, is considered the same as a pen of hogs or a lot of cattle. They are the property owners livestock.

That means we can harvest any amount any way we choose. No fishing license needed. If I fish the tiny seasonal creek that runs behind my pond, I need a license. If I fish my pond I don't.

That is my understanding but I am not a lawyer so some F&G guy may inform me otherwise some day.

In Texas, there are no regs regarding what I do in privately owned water. I don't know what it would be in the creek that I have but figure, since it is not public water, I can do as I please. I believe I could pump water to my pond since it originates on a neighbors land. I doubt that I could get away from contaminating it though.

Could be some of the fragile native coldwater fisheries in upstate NY that are connected by creeks and streams and the potential of introducing harmful exotics or disease. I know NY has done a lot of work to reintroduce "Heritage Strain" brook trout. Additionally daming up a spring fed creek can warm up a native brook trout stream and obliterate the brook trout.

Personally I think states competing with private suppliers is wrong and should be eliminated as it has in many states. I.e., in my state of Indiana the state hatcheries only raise fish for public waters, and in some states I hear there is a push to contract that out to private farms. Typically private farms can do it more cost effectively.

OK I am looking at the book for my state. You can fish without a license here if...

You are "the owner or tenant, their spouse, child or the spouse of their child residing on the property and fishing from the property's riparian shoreline". "Anglers with riparian shorelines must comply with all fishing laws and regulations".

But doesn't riparian shorelines refer to rivers and not ponds? I don't really know.

Sounds like this regulation allows fishing, without a license, in streams and rivers, by landowner's and tenants that own shoreline.

No issues with private ponds here, do as you wish.

There is/was a State program, where if you were selected, the State will come in and build a pond on your property. If that's the case, the pond belongs to the State, and well...

If your property is connected to any State waters, all rules and regulations apply. Hit any State waters with a fishing pole, even on your own property, you better have your gestapo papers ready!

If you have a creek running thru your property, the water and creek bed belong to the State. Anyone can navigate State waters even if the creek runs thru your property. As long as they are in the water, or in the creek bed, it is not trespassing.

I Posted this in another thread...

I contacted the MD DNR. They said that private ponds such as farm ponds, are subject to the same regulations as everywhere else. The only exemption is if you are issued a 'Fee Fishing Permit' for the pond, which allows the owner to charge admission to fish.

I guess every state is different. The only way to be sure is to ask your State DNR.

Most certainly the regs vary from state to state. In Indiana, private water is just that...private. No need for a license, no possession limits, and no minimum sizes. You may fish and harvest as you see fit.

We're the same here in NE, UNLESS the state stocks your pond.

(as far as I know )

I have always heard that if the state stocked your pond, you were required to allow public access to that pond. I posed that question to the chief of fisheries IDNR a couple months ago, and here is his reply:

"We do not and (for the most part) have not been in the habit of stocking private ponds. The exceptions have been 1) such as West Boggs where a pond owner in the watershed allows us to rotenone a pond and we restock at our expense; 2) for a brief time in the 1970’s, we offered the same service if a private pond owner voluntarily self-reported illegal stocking of grass carp (in the old diploid days); and 3) also in the 1970’s we tried to increase public fishing by offering to stock new or recently renovated private ponds with one introductory stocking of bass and bluegill only if the owner signed an agreement to allow public access and agree to stock nothing else except channel catfish. I don’t recall any takers.

Until it was discontinued in 1975, the USFWS provided bass and bluegill fingerlings for stocking private ponds in Indiana. Pond owners could make an application for free fish through the old Soil Conservation Service (Now NRCS) and later a delivery truck from a federal hatchery (Sennecaville or Hebron NFH in Ohio) would show up in the area and offload pond owner’s fish.

Even in those rare instances of DNR stockings of private waters noted above (#1 and #2), the stockings did not convey any trespass rights. The ponds remained privately owned and controlled and fishing was by permission of the landowner. We were willing to make the investment without gaining public fishing access because of the need to rid those waters of undesirable fish."

It appears that you would indeed have to allow access. However that program is no longer in existence, and as stated there were no takers! I though that was interesting stuff.

"Personally I think states competing with private suppliers is wrong and should be eliminated as it has in many states. I.e., in my state of Indiana the state hatcheries only raise fish for public waters, and in some states I hear there is a push to contract that out to private farms. Typically private farms can do it more cost effectively."

Cecil I understand your take here, and that's how NE is run as well. I want to pose this for your consideration: Our NE state hatcheries produce some fish that are otherwise impossible to source privately or at least very difficult. Namely - Saugeye and true triploid "Magnolia" black crappie. Our state budget for parks/fisheries is exceedingly tight and I am in favor of the state generating revenue by sourcing these fish at least to private hatcheries so consumers like myself could access. Saugeye and Magnolia Crappie would fill a niche for many pond owners like myself, especially the triploid black crappie. The states have an opportunity to provide a resource in demand and also generate a direly needed profit. They essentially already sell deer, turkey, quail, pheasants, ducks, geese, bighorn sheep and now cougars - why not sell fish that aren't available on the market? Won't be competing with existing private hatcheries - and as a private hatchery owner, I'm in favor of it for these exclusive species. Just something to consider.