Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Rainbows I'n my pond

Hi my name is Jamie.I purchased a property with a 1/2 acre pond on it... The pond is feed by a spring about 75 yards from pond. The spring runs all year at rate of 300 gallons a hour.. I made small dams to catch silt and falls to make air.I live I'n Wisconsin.the deepest part of pond is 16ft.about size of a car, the rest is 8th to 12ft.at this point there's 60 bg ,30 yp ,a few black crappie and a doz or so lgmb.first how many rainbow trout could this pond Handel ? And i plan on running a airator I'n pond,so do I want to put the difuser I'n the deepest part or where the creek enters the pond to brake down silt? pond is teardrop shape . Tear where spring comes I'n and deepest I'n center.thanks for the input.I bought the property just for the pond so Iam very excited for the future and work a pond can be.

That's only 5 gallons a minute. I think a bath tub runs about 3 gallons a minute.Unless you have more springs in the pond itself, that's not enough to keep a 1/2 acre pond cool enough for trout in the heat of the summer.

My 1/10 acre trout pond is fed by 2700 gallons an hour. I still climbs to 68 F. on the surface in the summer.

I did drop the Aquaview camera down last august I'n 12 fow . I had 53 deg.... It's 51.3 when it enters the pond.the surface temp was a 64 I'n dead summer.. The pond sits on north side of a large hill. The spring flows north to pond. I'n the area the ice comes off my pond last.early may.

Good luck. I hope it works for you. Trout in a pond are a blast.

Keep in mind that most ponds stratify in the summer and have cold water down below if they are not destratified with a diffuser. However that does not mean there is enough oxygen.

Your surface temp in August will be your best indicator of how cold your pond is.

If it was me I'd add some 10 to 12 inch trout and see if they survive the summer. It's not like they are terribly expensive.

Thanks.so do I want the defuser I'n deep part or mid depth? The owner before me had brook trout I'n pond. They made two summers.until a otter decided to make home I'n winter.how many rainbows can the pond hold? Plan on getting pellet fed fish.here I'n northern Wi , we usually don't get the long summers as indiana, just saying your quite a few miles south of myself.2 miles down the road there's a very good trout stream and it's temp I'n July is 56 to 59, and it's full of brown and brook trout.

James,

That sounds promising. You must have more going on to cool things off than just 5 gpm and some shading. My guess is subsurface spring(s) too.

No doubt you have cooler summers than we do. If brook trout made it, then any trout should be able to as they are most sensitive to marginal temps.

As far as how many to stock? I would start with 50 and see how that goes. Get at leas 10 inch fish and feeding them will definitely increase survival. If you see an Otter the three S's apply.

I would only run a diffuser at night, which is what I do in my trout pond. This keeps warming down during the day.

Jamie welcome to the forum, it sounds like you have a good shot at keeping trout, in addition to Cecil's info you might put in an electric fence around the pond if you think otters will be a problem.
With a small pond it wouldn't cost much and since the fence only needs to be a foot high it's not really an obstruction for people. I've had mine for more than 3 years and it does the job, they learn fast to go to greener pastures when they get their nose zapped.

Thanks guys for the input.what depth do I want the defuser I'n?

I would suggest putting the diffuser at the 12 ft. level if you were only going to run it during the cooler temps. at night, a thermostat could be connected to the pump so it only operates at cooler temps.
http://www.amazon.com/Lux-Heating-Coolin...8428&sr=8-1

Jamie, I have a summer lake house in northern Wisconsin, "Iron River"
really pretty part of the country..Are you near Iron River at all..
its between Duluth, MN and Ashland, WI along route 2...........

BobbyRice,

The Pond Boss world just keeps getting smaller and smaller. I grew up in "the suburbs" of Iron River, in the town of Hughes. My family is from Iron River/Oulu/Poplar/Foxboro/Superior/Duluth.

If you need to do some name dropping in the area, send me a PM. My brother is still the "Ayatollah with the Big Hammer" in a close-by small town. My cousins still have a little influence.

If nothing else, I've got good connections in the local cemeteries where we bury all the old fishermen.

Ken (aka Oulu Knute)

P.S. I just got off got off the phone with one of my cousins. He was in a grader on Hwy 2 outside of
Superior. He didn't think that South Shore sunbathing might be a good idea.

we are also in n. wis., had rainbows for two yrs, they were 5-7"when put in the pond. One yr later avg 12-13", they had been fed pellets and lots of minnows and tadpoles. Then that fall and next yr, we could not catch or find a one. No reason just gone. Even the hbg are gone. Put in the largest you can justify and keep whatever u catch is our opinion. Or something else will. We ran our aerator 24/7 in the winter and at nites in the summer/ Good luck

Nils,

You are probably in a very difficult area for what you want to accomplish.

To add to it, how "northern" are you? Superior and Ashland, vs. places just a few miles south, like Eau Clair, Oskosh, or Milwaukee are worlds different from each other

Questions are very welcome. We have a lot of experts for areas all around the the country.

Regards,
Ken

catmandoo, my place is out on the pike like chain, "Pinecrest"

I am near sommerset,Wi. East of twin cities.

I grew up on the west side of Iron River (Oulu). I know "the Chain" quite well. I particularly knew the area around Pinecrest, as our family and extended family owned hundreds of acres adjacent to, and around the resort. I still have family throughout the area from Oulu to Ino, to Delta and Mason.

I guided on "the Chain," the Brule River, and lot of other area waters throughout my high school and college days back in the '60s.

I still have a lot of family in the towns of Hughes, Oulu, Delta, Mason, and to the Wisconsin/Minnesota border from Duluth/Superior, south to Foxboro, Patzu, and Hinkley.

Tis a beautiful area with many wonderful people -- and lots of good fishing and hunting. Enjoy.

Yes it's a very beautiful part of the country, I own land near hayward. I live 2 hours south of that area.great fishing and hunting as you say.

Two legged predator perhaps? Or an Otter?

My pond is 200ft by 130 wide, most depth at 8 to 12 ft, with a 16 to 17 ft hole and spring fed.. I plan on having 50 adult bg,50 adult perch,12 bass at 13 to 16 inches and a few I'n the 3 to 5 lb range.I'n addition want 50 rainbows I'n the 10 to 12 inch range.and 20 or so brook trout 6 to 8 inches..and for food a few gallons of fathead minnows.some input please on ratio problems or species problems.the pond has a few yoy bluegill now and fatheads I'n it..there's not much cover I'n pond.I got goofy last summer and raked out alot of pond weed.. Next summer ill be leaving more for cover.

Around here bass love stocked trout as fodder. Here is an 12 inch bass lure.

I see.

Any advise on the ratio or species I mentioned?

I'ma bit confused on the fish. Is that what is in the pond now, or what you are thinking of stocking?

Here's a few things to consider:

A largemouth will eat fish that are 1/3 to 1/4 it's own length.

It takes 10# of fish (forage) to put one pound on one largemouth.

If there are adult fish in the pond now, the fatheads (FHM)will only last a week to a month. They will not survive in your pond. The best forage fish for LMB (largemouth) is BG.

If the LMB in your pond are that big now, then the Brookies will be a quick snack for them. I'd try RBT at 12" long, maybe only 25 of them to see if they'd survive the summer. I'd hate to see you put in 50 of them and have them only last until June or so.

Typically, a one acre pond will support about 50# of predators as adults, but that is started out by stocking around 50 to 100 LMB, and 1,000 BG per acre (as fingerlings).

Thanks for the input. I won't plan on putting large bass I'n the pond. I would much rather have trout so I will start with the trout and see what happens .

Are perch and bluegills considered predators ? Or the bass and trout?