Musky Trout Hatcheries LLC. • 279 Bloomsbury Road • Asbury, NJ 08802
ph: 908•479•4893    fax: 908•479•4855   •   musky279@yahoo.com

Many things can affect stocking fish into a pond, but the most important is oxygen availability. It is important to have some idea of the potential availability of oxygen (good, okay, or bad!) in your pond. Only the lowest oxygen levels during the year, or worst case, matter. Even if the oxygen available to your fish is too low for only a matter of minutes throughout the year, the fish will die. (They need to breathe too!) August frequently provides a good indication of how well a pond will hold fish. There are generally 3 primary sources of oxygen in a pond: photosynthesis of plants, absorption from the air, and water flowing into and through the pond. In small ponds, the type found on most properties (less than an acre and fairly shallow), the ponds' water supply is the most reliable source of oxygen through the year. If you have a pond that does not discharge water in August, and starts getting shallower, it is also probably low in oxygen and risky to stock with fish. A aeration system will help keep your fish alive when the oxygen is low.

Although habitat, pond size, etc., all help determine the species of fish that should be stocked in a pond, water temperature, State regulations, and the fish's reproductive capacity probably have the greatest impact. If a pond rarely exceeds 69 degrees (fahrenheit) trout are a good choice. If a pond stays in the 70s, then warm water fish (bass, blue gills, etc.) can survive better.When measuring the pond's water temperature, do not measure the temperature at the surface of the pond. A quick and easy way to get water temperatures from deeper parts of the pond is to tie the thermometer on to the end of a fishing line, place a bobber six feet above it, and cast it out to the center of the pond. After a couple of minutes, quickly reel the thermometer in and read the temperature. (Remember, August is probably the best month to get a worst case temperature.)

Frequently herons, ducks, kingfishers, mink, otter, etc., find that stocked ponds are an excellent place to dine. Some pond owners appreciate seeing the diversity of wildlife. Many do not want to lose their fish to predators. Although there are no foolproof methods to stop predation, there are some things that can be done. A nonlethal and inexpensive method is to string 2 strands of monofilament fishing line around the perimeter of the pond. Generally the height of 1 strand is 12 inches and the second is 18 inches. (The heights of the strands sometimes need to be adjusted until the most effective heights are found.) This will often stop many of the wading birds and ducks. This can also be done with a single strand of electric fence such as that used for cattle. By adjusting the height of electric fence itcan be effective for wading birds and ducks as well as mink and otter.