I'm weighing in on BillB's side on this. The risk of the normal rural pond owner (absentee or otherwise) being successfully sued by an injured trespasser is very, very small. IMO (as another lawyer), you have a far better chance of being sued by the people you actually invite on the property--particularly people doing work or social guests. The argument is that tf you invite the kids to swim in the pool, maybe you should disclose "hazards" such as the very steep bank you designed to discourage algae and herons. . . .
For most people, I wouldn't worry about it. For those very worried about these issues (perhaps because of high personal net worth or a larger than normal perceived risk), a relatively inexpensive option in many states is to set up an LLC to own the land containing the pond. This provides some degree of additional protection.
