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Vince P
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# Posted: 19 Oct 2011 06:44pm - Edited by: Vince P
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I was wondering if anyone here has experience with stocking. I tried stocking some 8" Rainbow Trout in the spring of 2009, but the pond had a massive leak that drained it completely. The pond was repaired by the summer of the same year and I've allowed it to establish and stabilize a natural food chain the past 2.5 years.
I'm still not sure if trout will survive or hold over in the winter, but I'd appreciate hearing what others have done and maybe some advice from those who've been successful with trout or other species.
Here's a photo of my 5 year old little pond (the water covers about 1/3 acres) with my cabin in the background.
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PA_Bound
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# Posted: 19 Oct 2011 07:57pm
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I don't have a pond, but in my experience from those that do is that rainbow trout should easily survive the winter in a decent pond (I know of one pond where the trout spawn every year). In fact, I've been told the Fall is a good time to stock as it typically gives them time to acclimate before encountering the stresses that come with the summer (warmer water (=less 02), possibly lower water levels and flow through, fisherman, etc...). The biggest "gotcha'" I've heard of is the water getting to shallow or too warm in the summer. I don't know how your pond is fed, but a strong, cold spring-fed pond is great for trout. If the water gets too warm however the trout may not make it. In that case may want to consider bass or other pan fish more adaptable to warmer water.
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Vince P
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# Posted: 20 Oct 2011 07:55am - Edited by: Vince P
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Quoting: PA_Bound The biggest "gotcha'" I've heard of is the water getting to shallow or too warm in the summer.
Yeah, I hear ya.
I confused my own story above by stating what actually happened after I stocked a bunch of minnows to establish a food chain. I actually stocked the trout after the pond was repaired and went with rainbows because they are the most heat tolerant of trout (up to 70 degrees F). This was spring of 2010 and we had a somewhat dry year that summer. The pond depth dropped about 2 feet leaving a total depth of about 4-5 feet at its deepest point. The funny thing is that even though I never saw any of the trout again, I never did see any remains either. One would expect to see at least something a month or so after stocking 35 trout.
Then again, I have seen mink on my property and my neighbor to the north tells me that one had cleaned out his pond of the bullhead that lived there. His pond feeds mine, so mink are a good bet.
The photo below is the last I saw of them when I was getting them acclimated to the pond.
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cman47c
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# Posted: 20 Oct 2011 10:25am
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I have a small pond about your size. PA Bound is right about the shallow pond and trout, usually does not work. My pond is 9 feet. It is spring fed but not a trout pond. I stocked bass and sunfish and it is self-sustaining and good fishing. I think your pond looks like a "warmwater" pond and at that depth I think trout will struggle. That shallow water just gets too warm in summer, even if your in north latitudes. Raccoons also roam the shorelines for dead fish and you will almost never see any remains of dead fish.
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Vince P
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# Posted: 21 Oct 2011 12:14pm - Edited by: Vince P
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Quoting: cman47c I think your pond looks like a "warmwater" pond and at that depth I think trout will struggle.
It's actually not. I planted the profuse growth you see around the pond purposely, so it may look like it gets a lot of sun. In fact, the pond is not only in a northern latitude, it is also mostly shaded and high elevation.
Regardless, I am planning on stocking with fathead minnows this fall and maybe some bluegills in the spring. That's probably the best bet for my kids right now.
Thanks for the replies.
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latitude 54
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# Posted: 24 Mar 2012 07:37pm
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Where can one buy rainbow trout?
I read an interesting article here:
URL
and thought I should try...
I live up north around Burns Lake area.
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PA_Bound
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# Posted: 25 Mar 2012 08:31am
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I'm not familiar with your area but, in general, you buy them from a local fish hatchery. There is actually an entry in my local telephone yellow pages for "Fish Hatcheries and Farms". I would recommend checking your yellow pages, or do a quick internet search, and see what hatcheries are local to you and contact them.
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larry
Member
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# Posted: 25 Mar 2012 08:56am
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google "pondboss" i here there is a great deal of info there.
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Flyfish
Member
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# Posted: 26 Mar 2012 02:41pm
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Not sure where your pond is located but rainbow trout will require water temperatures not exceeding 70 degrees and prefer 60 or less. If your water temperatures are acceptable, you may have to aerate the pond to supply more dissolved oxygen. You can contact your local USDA extension office for help. Unless your really set on having rainbow trout, i would suggest warmwater species such as bass, catfish, sunfish, etc. try this website for some good information and prices.
http://www.zettsfish.com/
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bukhntr
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# Posted: 21 Jan 2013 12:51am
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I agree check with your local hatchery supplier, they will tell you what is good to stock in your type of pond and give numbers to suppport your pond size. Our regional hatchery brings a route truck around during the mild seasons. You can order ahead and don't pay the delivery fee as you would direct to the pond. We are about 30 min away from our pic up location and did not experience any fish loss
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larry
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# Posted: 21 Jan 2013 07:49am
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we have a large pond and stocked it 2 springs ago. we added 200 rainbow and 50 browns. last summer the temp here in michigan was warm and the pond got very warm, over 70f , and i watched the fish die. what was strange was i never saw a floater. everyone of the dead went to the bottom and were either eaten or decomposed. trout are great but if your pond is shallow it will get too warm for trout. eventhough we lost all the trout the pearch, bluegill, and sunfish survived.
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