Creeks are great fun, especially for kids. I well remember going creek & pond fishing with my dad, but I often ended up "fishing" for frogs, turtles, salamanders, crawfish, snakes, minnows, and the like. Dad figured I'd focus about 30 minutes on the actual fish, but didn't mind me splashing around the edges seeking what I could find. It would've been easier for him to leave me at home, but thank God he didn't.
Where do your mini-ponds get their water? Is it runoff, or maybe some creek overflow? If the latter, you might want to think about what kind of fish you'll get from the creek. But you're right that there are genuine experts here who can help identify the species.
If you have some kids who enjoy fishing, let me know when you're in my neck of the woods. I need to harvest bass every year, and right now I'm also trying to harvest the rainbow trout before they die in the summer.
