Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose trout in pond.

Of the major three(brook, brown, rainbow) brown trout are the most tolerant of warmer lower DO conditions, but not substantially. However, they are the most aggressive, cannibalistic and many think hardest to catch. Brook trout require the best water quality of the major three. Rainbow trout are generally the most commonly stocked trout for ponds. They have an golden morph which most of us who grew up fishing for trout in PA know them as palomino trout. So you can stick with just rainbows but have "two" types of trout in your pond for variety. Tiger trout can be tough to source but are an aggressive fast growing option that I think are very pretty.

I know a guy who has some kamloop trout up in potter county. Wonder how they would do? Also thanks many names for the goldens here in pa

I think you misunderstood about the O2 sat rate time factor. I was referring to Co2 not 02 when I said it took two days to fully liberate the C02 and bring the PH up from 7.5 to 8.3.

As far as getting up to full sat on oxygen it's not instantaneous either but a matter of minutes. Once you get close to 100 percent it's gets more difficult to get to 100 percent. Adding one more bucket would put it closer though.

BTW on and off for any pump that many times -- especially a well pump -- is a really bad practice. A good way to have problems IMHO.

I respect your opinion on this but respectfully disagree.

Ditto, although you do know the Palimino and West Virginia Golden Rainbow are two different things right?

Browns get a bad rap for being hard to catch but their aggressiveness can work against them.

A Kamloops from any hatchery is just a domesticated rainbow like the rest.

Cecil, Have you raised any Browns in your ponds?If so, what are your findings concerning water temps and tolerances? I read somewhere they can handle water in the low 70's.

Had to edit...I answered part of my own question by "reading". Yes you have grown Browns...forgive me. But what about the temperatures?

It's not just temperature but dissolved oxygen as well.

Brown trout can handle temps over 80 degrees if dissolved oxygen is at or very near full saturation. However, you are rarely if ever going to have DO levels that high in a pond situation. Some studies I have read concerning survival rates of brown trout say they can handle temps pushing 85 degrees for short periods of time and temps around 78 indefinitely if the DO level is at saturation. Rainbow trout can tolerate temperatures fairly close to this, perhaps a a couple degrees less. However, anything above 74 is going to stress them with temps over 78 heavily stressing them. For browns, shoot for 70 and under, for rainbows 68 and under and for brookies 66 and under. That is assuming DO levels are at least around 6 ppm or higher. Different strains of trout in the same species can even have different tolerances. Age of the trout also is a factor, with YOY fish and larger adult fish being the least tolerant to higher temps. Trout that are in good condition will have better survival rates in sub par temps as they can handle stress and subsequent body weight loss compared to those fish which aren't in as good of a condition. Most literature seems to suggest that rainbow trout grow best at around 66-67 degrees and cease to grow around 74.

In the creek behind our hunting cabin, water temps in the summer will climb into the upper 70's and sometimes over 80 near the surface. DO levels are usually close to saturation though. Depending on conditions for each year, we generally see most brown trout survive 3 out of 4 years and rainbow trout survive 1 out of 3 years.

Since reading about winter time trout stocking in ponds, here on PB, I was kicking the idea around.I've been weighing the species options, and saw the Browns handle the highest temps of the three. I also read the Browns are "the most elusive".So many things a layman as my self reads, translates as totally undoable or a wasted effort. Just how difficult are the Browns to hook? You stock 300 and catch 3 or 4? That's how it "translates" to me anyway.Especially since I am not a Trout angler extraordinaire.I've caught one in my life and it was a Rainbow.

Sounds like wintertime trout angling, a 1/4 mile from the house with no limits, licenses and stamps required might be fun.

CJBS, thanks for the compiled information. It saves alot of searching.


That response should be archived for quick reference!(maybe it has and I have'nt found it)

It's been my experience that brown trout and very aggressive for the first time. Each year I generally stock 30 browns and 70 rainbows. I will almost always catch 3-4 browns for every rainbow caught. They are that aggressive. However, once they have been caught once, they are much more difficult to catch a second time compared to rainbows. I know I have a few brown trout that have survived a couple of years that are now over 6 pounds but are almost impossible to catch...

Wow, a far cry from the picture that's been painted in my head.
CJ, what about growth rates. How do the growth rates fare between the major 3? I would feed when ice out allows, and since growing time would be of an essence? And "once caught once eaten."

Rainbows are the fastest growing from what I have seen, especially when pellet fed...

CJBS2003 is right on with his posts; really nothing to add.

Thanks guys! Sounds like a Brown/Rainbow combo is the recipe.

James I would suggest getting tiger trout if they're available in your area, they are a cross between a male brookie and female brown, they are tough, and aggressive.
I would say they are also the easiest to catch of all the trout species.

Adirondack, I've seen those beautiful specimens on here. I do need to see if they are available in my area. I'll research for the thread on here with those dandies!

Here we go again!

Cecil, no sweat man! I just read "THE THREAD"......Tigers are cool looking, but I'm with you. The Brookies to me are the classic looking trout.Makes me think of Virgil Ward,and old Hamm's beer commercials. If I thought they would be the best for my winter-time Missouri pond....that's what would go in!

Tigers are no different than most any type of fish you can stock for the particular enjoyment of your pond.
People who want fast growing BG might stock condello strain BG which have been selectivly bred to give them that result.
If your a lousy fisherman like me Tigers are an excellent way to raise and enjoy catching trout, and they also exist naturally in the wild.
I like catching the brookies in the pond, but the tigers are caught much more frequently.

I'm a worse fisherman than you, you've caught more than my one Rainbow.....my lifetime tally!

I need to find what's best for my pond experiment. Hey Adirondack, you've had them survive year round, what does your water temps get to in July and August?Any idea?

I'm not expecting a year round survival, just seeing how far I can stretch their survival.

James I see you have a 3 acre 15' deep spring fed pond, it wouldn't cost much to experiment with small numbers of trout now to see if they can survive the summer.

Rainbows would be the easiest to get and maybe some brookies and tigers if available. Put in about 50 total and see if they make it thru the summer.

Addition helpful things would be aeration, and also a surface fountain pump, running both on a thermostat set for cooler days and nights.

My pond is supplied with 110gpm piped in from a cool stream which is well oxygenated from fast movement over the rocks.
The near surface temps. will get into the 70's in the summer but the temp. below 5 ft never gets above the 60's.

Someone needs to selectively breed some rainbow trout to be more warm water tolerant. Pull out the last of the last trout to survive each year just before they die, bring them back from the brink and then breed them. Keep doing that and dang it you just might get some rainbows that can survive the more typical pond.

Travis since you do have the knowledge and experience in fish science i think that would be a great project for you to take on when you get your ponds, you could call them Trainbows.
How's the search for suitable land going?

Even with the economy being down land prices are still high here in the DC area. And being a public sector employee, we're getting hit with no/limited OT opportunities and other cuts. Throw in family needs, I am not getting my own pond any time soon. Just stuck managing other people's ponds and playing with the ponds in my neighborhood that no one else seems to care about.

If you want good pay and all the OT you can stand apply for corrections officer in Middlesex county N.J., my nephew can't get any time off. Of course the down side is living in joisey.

So I did some research and found out that if I use pond plants like Lilly pads it will help keep it cool by blocking sunlight. Also my dad told me to take and make some sort or awning or screening to block the sunlight and help keep leaves out of it. Do you think this will work. Also thinking about burying copper tubing in the ground and pumping the pond water through it to cool it off. Let me know what you think.