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Suggestions on How to Stock Your Pond

Please call or Email if you have management or productivity concerns with a pond that is already stocked and may not be producing the size or number of fish you wish.


Common pond and lake problems and misconceptions
"I don't want sunfish or bluegill in my pond because they will take over" "chemicals are the easiest way to control pond weeds"
1. BASS: Stock your Fathead Minnows first so they have the oppturnity to multiply before the predators are stocked. Some people wait a year, others a month or two allowing the minnows to spawn at least a couple of times. Fathead minnows spawn intermittently through the summer, and only have to be 4-6 weeks old to spawn. If you stock only fathead minnows for your bass to forage on you will have to restock the minnows quite frequently this is why you should stock the sunfish, shiners, perch etc. at a 5:1 ratio to your bass.

If the bass don't have copious amounts of smaller fish and crayfish to forage upon, they will not grow well. Five pounds of forage food can translate into about one pound of fish gain in addition three pounds of forage per pound of bass is required for body maintenance. ( Fish Hatchery Management ) book pg. 136 U.S. Dept. Fish and Wildlife. So if you want your bass to grow well it is important that you stock plenty of forage.

2. After you start seeing many schools of minnows around the shoreline you can stock your other fish. If you want to stock your shiners, sunfish, etc. along with the bass you can, but stock fish that are as close in size as possible.

If you are stocking just bass and bluegill you can stock them at the same time, but you should stock 1000 1" bluegills with 100 bass per acre of pond. ( pg. 14 Fish Management In NY Ponds Cornell Co Op Ext.)

3. If you are stocking Walleye it is recommended to handle and stock them at temperatures below 68 degrees F (20C) as per USDA Walleye Culture Manual pg. 82 If your pond is not loaded with forage fish before stocking the Walleye you will be disappointed in their rate of growth.

4. TROUT: If you are stocking trout they do best when stocked alone. If it is a new pond you are stocking you can also stock some minnows with the trout, but they will thrive on an insect rich diet, and will take pellet feed.

Rainbow trout seem to do better in most ponds as they can take slightly warmer temperatures than Brook trout. The pamphlet ( Fish Management In New York Ponds ) pg. 8 does not recommend Brown trout. It is best to stock your trout in the fall or spring when temperatures are not too warm.

5. We suggest stocking Daphnia as a seeding for new ponds as they are a food source for smaller fish. We suggest Koi to help with weed control and algae control.


If you need additional help please contact us