Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Creating habitat How much spawning ground?

My experience: Structure is more "permanent". Cover is less "permanent"...cover is considered aquatic plants, maybe small-stemmed brush, etc. Cover and structure are elements of habitat. So is spawning substrate. Different species have different spawning requirements, so you need to know what that means, especially for fish you want in your pond. My "go to" advice for bass fishing lakes is to minimize spawning areas for bass, maximize areas for bluegills. I purposely add 4-6 shallow, flat, gravel-covered (sometimes sand if we can't find gravel) areas for bluegills. To visualize, I tell people to make their bluegill beds in water 2-4 feet deep, about the size of a pickup truck, flat. Lay down geotextile fabric and add 4-inches of gravel. Adjacent, have 3 to 1 slope down at least 5 feet. Expect healthy, native aquatic plants to grow for baby fish. Add brush or dense artificial structure nearby for baby fish. Next to that, add structure to attract bigger fish, and so on.