Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Building a dam Is fish lost great with an overflow

I was told that i would loose a lot of fish out of my highwater overflow. I have a 8"pipe for a spillway. With the rain we are getting her in EAst texas my pond is filling up faster than the spillway can handle and water is going over the high waterspillway. Which is a low spot with riffraft rocks to prevent from washing. Should i put a screen in front to prevent fish lost or is something i should not worry about.

bobby my experience is that you will lose fish, especially small forage as they seemed to follow the current.

Rigid fencing, available at most box stores, zip tied to t posts "should" keep them in the pond, but be careful if you have floating debris, as it can clog up. I would put the fence on the pond side of the rocks to keep the fish out of the rocks.

Also, using the t posts lets you easily remove it when not needed.

How wide is the high water spillway, and how high is the water going over it?

It is about 8' wide and around 6" deep with heave rains. I might have an issue with debris i get run off from road drainage lot of junk runs down the ditches I have some wire that cataches some of the paper and stuff but at heavy rains i have to do clean up around the banks when the water drops.

I would think 6" would be fine, just keep an eye on it and keep a rake handy.

Believe me, it's nice to hear of someone in East TX that has water going over the spillway.

Tell us about the fish population. Most times you do not lose to many fish depending.

I don't think I would do anything to impede flood water from exiting the pond. Yes, you will lose some small fish but I would rather lose them than the dam.

right now my pond is new and i have not stocked it. Going to stock with Todd Overton's sugggestions 500 CNB 100 RE 50 HSB and 10 lb of FHM. I was watching the water go over the overflow and got to thinking if i stock it will they all go over.

That is correct Dave i had rather lose some of them than the Dam. I built it on a shoe string budget and no preplaning and just trying to make sure what i have stays. Wife is going through chemo right now and extra funds are low. Would beleve for just one treatment of chemo cost more than it cost to dig a pond 200' x 175' but cost is not an issues wife is worth more than anything. And right now she is in remession.

Good for you two ! Hope things continue to go well.

I guess there is many times a dilemma between a fish barrier that prevents fish escape and a fish barrier that traps debris that causes other problems. Not sure there is a perfect answer.

Thanks guys going to watch it the next time I get some rain. All the rain last week went around me only got 1/2 " not enough to run it over.

I have a tube made out of fish cage material that slides over the outlet pipe of my trout pond. I remove it once a day and shake off any algae or debris. If it wasn't there I'm sure I'd have trout in the pond that is downstream.

There is a public pond here that overflows once in a while, when it is done raining a guy can go pick 6" blue gill out of the lower field by the bucket full. Well mabeye only one bucket full but it is fun to see!!