Pond Building

I am looking for good reads on building a pond. From dirt work through stocking. I have 12.5 acres to work with and have good water shed to the pond location.

Theres numerous books out there from earthen pond to Mike Otto's book on pond building. Main question to ask what do I want this pond to do for me? Then you can get the necessary information, talking with professional fisheries biologists to pond builder will guide you in you endeavor. Finding a local pond builder would be my suggestion, along with NRCS on soil and topographical help with you property and pond location. Fish stocking (fisheries biologist will help you in habitat and structure and tell the builder also what is needed) will ultimately be determined by your goals--bass pond, combination pond, bluegill only, stiper, catfish, or something all together different.

Hope that helps you get started.

I can run the machinery, just need direction on what is needed to have a bass pond. Seems like crappie might be a tough sell, but I don't know. Looking for design ideas and needs for best habitat, depth, and contours. Pond will have good water shed. wanting little over and acre pond that the kids can fish and have a gazeebo for romantic evenings with the wife

A "smaller" lake such as you plan is generally said to be unsuitable for crappie - unless that's all you intend to have in it. I'm not the expert, but have read that experts wouldn't recommend it for smaller bodies of water....

I know there are some good reads out there...but after building and stocking and managing 5 of them over many years, and several hard drive/computer failures later, I just don't have those reads readily available....sorry.

But, FWIW, I'll offer a few tips from a lot of experience.

Sounds like you have already dealt with the first item which is water shed. Its very important. Too much and/or too little both can be problematic.

Secondly, the clay content of your sub-soils is also very important. One way to assess your soil viability is neighboring ponds. Do they hold water readily? It is actually worth your time to talk to neighbors about this subject...and while you're at it ask them about local builders. Do your homework. Unless you can be extremely confident in adequate clay content, do some test holes.

With good water shed and proven clay content, your chances of success are high...but you can still mess it up in construction...and later in stocking.

A lot of people push pipe drains...arguing that pulling water from the bottom rather than run off through a natural spill way is the way to go. I don't agree. Having a big hole through your dam adds a lot of risk(not to mention cost) to the project. You better have someone installing it that really knows their stuff...and even then "stuff" happens.

In my area, we have long periods of dry spells followed by torrential rains...one year 35 inches over a three day period and more recently during Harvey, 27 inches over a couple of days. That's a lot of water and I figure I've seen probably about 5 such events that qualify as 100 year floods. My natural spillways worked 100% effectively...absolutely no problems.

Make your spillway(s) over natural ground as much as possible, right where the new dam meets the existing undisturbed soil. Generally two of these spots in every pond.

Irregular bottoms, especially in a bass pond are highly desirable. One thing I did which has been extremely successful, has been the use of subsurface islands in the deepest areas of the pond...humps that rise up 12 to 15 feet to just below the surface. It can turn that deep water which is generally void of fish into jam up fishing spots.

You will get more "help" than you could ever imagine in ideas for stocking the pond. After all the hard work and expense of building it right, it is so easy to mess it up with a bad stocking plan....and it can take years to recover. Be careful, very careful who you listen to in this regard.

I noticed that you are comfortable operating equipment...few things I have done in life that are more satisfying than running a dozer in building your own pond. I could never be called an "operator" but I had a Hell of a bunch of fun running a dozer...and still have it for maintenance chores around the property.

I sincerely wish you the best...and urge you to do your homework. Remember that what you do will be a legacy for generations in the future...make it a good one!

Here are two good books to get you started.

Perfect Pond Book

Just Add Water

You do not need book's you just need to contact TPW. They have people who will assist you in every step/aspect, and if you need help I will throw my hat into the ring and help if needed.

You might already know this but contact your county agent to come take a soil sample and make sure will dirt will support a good pond. Another suggestion is make sure to stockpile your topsoil, build your dam and then cover your dam with the topsoil. The contractor that built a pond for me put all the topsoil on the bottom of the dam and the subsoil on top. That dam wouldn't grow any cover for years and still looks like cr**.

Buy the books that Salex recommends.

PondBoss.com

If you subscribe you can look at back issues and tap in to their sources and recommendations for how to do it, who to hire and where to get stock.

I used a lot of their resources when we did a pond at our family ranch several years ago.

It’s a lot of work but worth it if it is yours.