Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Non-aggressive Native Fish for Swimming Pond

I keep reading that bluegill are known for being aggressive toward swimmers. Are there any other species to avoid a pond used primarily for swimming? I would like to only have fish native to Missouri and multiple species are preferred.

I am currently looking at orangespotted and ozark longear (paired with a few species of minnows and shiners). Are these known to be territorial to humans? What about warmouths or redear?

Any other recommendations are appreciated. --Thanks

Redear are purported to be human bite free (and that's my experience). No idea on Warmouths, etc.

Welcome to PB fellow Miserian.

Bluegills will make you bleed. Redears won't bother you. I can't speak to the others you mentioned.

Redears can be a little aggressive to swimmers who wade in the RES spawning nest areas. Not as aggressive as BG, HBG, and green sunfish but bumping from RES during spawning period can occur. and is known to sometimes happen. IMO most any sunfish can be somewhat aggressive when people are wading in the nesting area when the fish are protecting their nest site. It is natural and instinctive. Geese, bears and many other animals and birds protect their offspring and become more aggressive during nesting season or protecting young. .

Are you going to bucket stock your pond, or have you checked what is available from your local fish suppliers?

There have been several discussions on Pond Boss about orangespotted and longear sunfish, as well as warmouth. However, those fish tend to be very difficult to source.

Also, are you going to have a large predator in the pond? A sunfish species and minnow pond will eventually end up with thousands of stunted sunfish, since even the species less prolific than BG still produce a lot of babies!

As Bill says, every species is protective when you go through their nests. I used to swim and lifeguard at a Boy Scout facility on a large reservoir that had multiple fish species. We had a designated swimming area with lots of swimmers, so presumably the area was "nest free". The only time I ever got nipped (and actually observed the culprit) it was a BG, or possibly a BG/green sunfish hybrid. I think that male nipples might look like a bit of worm to a hungry BG, because that was by far the most common "nip complaint" from the kids that were poor swimmers and typically just stood on the bottom in the neck-deep water!

Nonaggressive fish to swimmers were a top priority for us also when we put our pond in.

We stocked; Fat Head Minnows, Golden Shiners, Yellow Perch. Red Eared Sunfish, Walleye, Small Mouth Bass.... the fishing and swimming have been outstanding.