Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Pebbles along edge of small lake?

I am buying a house with a backyard that is on a small private lake, really more of a large pond as there are no tides or motor boats.

it is currently overgrown but once I clear it I am thinking about putting down pebbles a few feet along the edge of the lake in order to prevent (or slow) The growth of weeds and having to mow right next to the water.

Any issues with this or things I need to consider?

Welcome to PB.

Put down a high-quality geotextile underlayment before you put the stone down.

The fabric will prevent deep-rooted vegetation from coming up through the layer of stone, and it will keep the stone from disappearing into the mud.
Some plant growth will certainly occur in the layer of stone, but it will be shallow-rooted and easy to control by chemical or mechanical means.

Thanks! I am thinking maybe 20 feet long (just a little area for launching a canoe/dog fetching), with 3 ft into the water and 3 feet out of the water. Do you think that is a good enough zone or need more/less?

Is adding the pebbles on top enough or do I need to secure the underpayment somehow?

The stone ought to hold the fabric in place, but if the bank is super steep where you're doing this it might need some help.
Hard to say without seeing it.

Personally, I'd go a little farther than 3ft below the high water mark if I was going to use the area as a canoe launch site.
There are quite a few rooted plants that will grow in fairly deep water. It really depends on how far out from the shore
you want it to be free of weeds. If there's much slope at all to the bank 3ft above should be enough to keep from getting the mower stuck.

And good luck training the dog to only go through the clean spot to get in and out of the pond. ;-)