Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations new pond help

Hi everyone.

I finished a 1 acre pond on my property (average dept 7 feet, max depth 12 feet) in the fall and it just completely filled. I want it to be a fishing pond. Since it just finished filling i have a lot of work/research to do. I will be testing the water soon for PH/Mg/Phos levels but wanted some guidance. What plants should i introduce to the pond? as of now it has no biomass in it (besides some frogs i seen before water froze). Should i introduce plants first then fish? also do i need to make sure it her certain algae that the feeder fish eat?

Thank you for all your help!

Welcome to the forum! No need to add any algae, it will show up all by itself. Yes, get the plants in as soon as possible,

As for plants, eelgrass, American Pondweed, Sago Pondweed, Pickerelweed, Varigated Sweet Flag, any type of Hardy (Non-Tropical) Lily (NOT spatterdock and NOT white fragrant water lily).

Look in the archives for cover to add to the pond, you should have roughly a little under 1/4 acre of cover in the pond for the fish, from shallow water to deep water, cover with small openings in it near the spawning areas, (like Christmas trees), cover with more open areas is for the middle sized fish and the predators. Make highways from shallow water cover to deep water cover.

As for fish, don't add catfish unless you like to eat them, don't add crappie, if it's a swimming pond, don't add Bluegills or hybrid bluegills unless you don't mind getting nipped by the fish.

If you want to grow fish fast, look at feeding the fish. A directional fish feeder (solar) really helps. Texas Hunter, Sweeney, Texas Avenger. Optimal FIsh food I think is the best and cheapest when you consider pounds of fish grown per pound of feed.

Add minnows (fatheads and golden shiners) asap, even before the plants. You have time to figure out the rest of the fish for the pond.

Aeration for summer and winter will help minimize the chances of a summer or winter kill, but the biomass isn't large enough yet you could wait until next year to install it. Depending on the shape of the pond one airstation in the deepest part of the pond, one in 3'-4' max of water within 30 feet of the shore for the winter.