Derik Li

For most of us the development practices associated with fishing ponds are not something that we spend a lot of time considering. However, for many farmers and landowners that desire to use any ponds on their land for fishing, pond development concerns are most important. Small fishing ponds are actually quite hard to develop as they do not have the scale of natural lakes and most likely do not have the feeder system that most large man-made reservoirs require as well to maintain the freshness of the water. Therefore, for small fishing ponds to be successful, and not to end up as stagnant puddles, you must consider three issues: water quality, plants and cover, and fish population. All three of these are actually interrelated, but one typically starts with addressing what kind of fish you want to catch in the fishing ponds you are developing.

Fish Population

In North America the fish most talked about and focused on is the Bass. There are many types of Bass. Some of them are more resilient, some more likely to reach large sizes and some that grow more quickly and so on. When you are developing fishing ponds and are targeting a fish such as the Bass as your primary product, you will need to consider the entire food chain. Most ponds can expect to get some natural pond development. Fish and frog spawn is typically transferred by clinging to birds’ feet and other pond dwelling animals. Somehow, nature has figured out how to make this happen. However, you may not have the decades to wait for completely natural development and you will need to consider artificially stocking your fishing ponds with fry of feed dish, such as bluegill and other small fish. Once you have established the major element’s of the target fish’s food chain, you may introduce the fish you want to grow and catch. However, is your pond ready?

Water Quality, Plants and Cover

Fishing ponds are unique in that they typically form their own little ecosystem and unless they have natural feeder streams or are large enough to manage themselves, they will need constant watching.

Most fish prefer certain types of plant cover and in fact need it, as it permits temperature gradients in the water and can provide oxygenation to the water, as well. However, even this is a balance. Many fishing ponds were, in fact, damaged by plants such as hydrilla that can take over a pond and literally suffocate the fish. Hydrilla is now considered an aquatic weed.

Another important consideration in fishing ponds is the water alkalinity or acidity. As fishing ponds are naturally lined, typically chemicals from the surrounding soils and stones actually seep into the water. Many fish farms may consider actually lining their ponds like swimming pools just to prevent this effect. The water in fishing ponds needs to be checked very frequently as you get the pond ready for fishing. You then continually introduce the bait fish and then the target fish. Even after the water and pond appears to be a stable mini-ecosystem, you should continue to monitor the chemicals in the water and the ability of the plant cover to maintain its growth at an appropriate level.