Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Feeding When to start feeding in the spring?

I searched the forums but could not find an answer...probably here somewhere but I struck out. So I am throwing it out there as winter is hopefully nearing an end in the Midwest over the next 4-6 weeks.

I started feeding fish for the first time last May (2017). I did not receive my stockers until then. I stopped feeding when the water temp fell to 55 last fall after finding many opinions on this forum. That seemed to be the consensus temperature as to when to stop for the winter.

Now I am wondering about the upcoming season. When the water temp hits 55 degrees on the way back up is that when I should start feeding again? Also, in terms of quantity, should I take it easy the first few weeks until the fish are re-acclimated to the feeding process/schedule?

I welcome your thoughts and opinions. Thanks. BM61.

55 degrees or so is when I start, usually that is late April or early to mid May around here.

Regular spring feeding can begin around water temps of 55F similar to ending the feeding in fall. However in spring, fish have been low on food all winter and on sunny spring days when the water gets 48F to 50F hungry active fish will rise to the surface for floating food. To determine this it is a trial and error procedure. If in early spring you see some fish near the feeding area you can toss out a handful of pellets to see their response. If you get feeding activity then you can turn on the feeder or hand feed reduced amounts of pellets until the water gets warmer in the 55-60F range; then regular full feeding amounts can begin.

I started reduced feeding last year in mid March when the fish acted hungry. Did not take water temps but I should have. By April I was feeding my regular amount.

We warmed up pretty quickly last March. It may not warm up that quickly every year, so feeding may start later.

I let the fish tell me.

i feed my now if it warms up a day or so, especially if the wind will carry it out instead of to the bank. mine aren't waiting on it now, but the do come up eventually after it floats for a while.

My surface temp yesterday got to 56 and I do have some fish waiting for food.I have reduced the amounts but am feeding every day already.If we are to get in the 20's again I may turn it back off for a day or 2. I check water temps almost daily. We have had a lot of rain and if your water gets muddy like mine the feeding slows way down. Keep that in mind. Even in fishing, cold muddy water is one of the worst conditions you can encounter. One of my questions is when to start aeriating again? I turned my air off at 55 degree surface temp.

Great answer Bill ! The best answer is what Bill was describing - feed when the fish will eat , let them tell you. A little feeding over winter is a very good idea when you can get them to eat (warming spells). Winter, in areas where it gets cold, is a tough time for fish. They use up food reserves (lipids , carbs and protein). A little extra food over winter allows them to come into spring in better condition. That can make a big difference in reproductive success. Likewise it is good to feed in fall when the fish are trying to pack on weight for winter food reserves.

Thanks for all the responses. We were at 14 degrees here in St. Louis this morning so I suspect we will still have ice on our ponds when I get up there this weekend.

So I don't think we will be feeding soon. The water did warm up early last year but, so far, it seems as though that is unlikely to happen in 2018.

I will watch for 55 degrees but will also, as Bill suggests, watch to see if the fish are feeding on sunny/warmer days once we get into some better weather.....hopefully by early March.

I only started to feed fish last year (late May) for the first time so my learning curve with these stockers and their feeding patterns and habits is still pretty steep. BM61.

I'll check water temps, but yesterday here in Northeast MO the fish really went after a few handfuls of feed thrown in. I'm thinking I may turn the feeder back on with just a few seconds a day, just set to go off in the evening.
If the temp is 55* I may notch it up a bit.

Edit.. Absolutely no activity at the pond this morning. Not taking any feed. Water temp is 45*. I decided not to load feeder. My guess is yesterday, with the sun shining on the water all day, it caused a little fish activity.

West Central MO fish have been feeding 4 days straight. Not heavy, but the ones that are eating are enthusiastic.

Hopefully mine will be ready to eat in a week or so.
Amazing what a few miles north does to temps. (And rainfall too!)

I could have started feeding 2 weeks ago, but we got the 11" of ran last week, and that muddied up the pond. The fish were slow to respond to feed in the turbid water. They fed voraciously today as the water is starting to clear up. With the cooler weather here this week, I may start feeding this coming weekend.

i am feeding 4 times a day here now.

We have 36 degrees F with 25 mph wind gusts now. It's cooling the rain warmed waters very rapidly. My fish were feeding well yesterday. Today was so windy at 40 mph, feed couldn't be thrown.

I was really surprised how fast the rain helped warmed the water in the pond. It went from high 40s to 61 a couple days ago. That was over 2 or 3 weeks. I wasn't expecting it to warm that quickly.

I'm not getting much rain, so water is staying cold. 24 degrees here this morning. If it's like last year, I'll start seeing rain about the time the perch drop thier egg ribbons. I couldn't tell last year how many ribbons I had because the water same up 3' at the same time.