Small Private Pond Management

[Gerry Zagorski]

My Grandson lives in a small private community in Central Monmouth County with a 2 acre pond that I assume is not more then 3 or 4 feet deep. They have a fountain in this pond which runs in the summer months which I assume keeps the water moving for mosquito control and may have some benefits for fish to keep more oxygen in the water.

This past fall they had it stocked with approval of NJDEP with some catfish, largemouth and various baitfish and it already had Bluegills that I assume were there naturally...

Are any of you managing private ponds and if so any tips on continued management like culling certain size fish, on going stocking, feeding the fish with pellets etc.

Do any of you have any tips on how to keep the Canadian Geese at bay? You can hardly step anywhere without stepping on their poop. Not sure if it's good for the grass or the run off into the lake but it certainly is annoying and so are they :D

Thanks all! My Grandson is really into fishing as are other kids in the community and just want to be sure we do what ever is needed to keep the pond and the fish healthy and thriving.

[foggy notion]

Gerry...several folks in my area have employed the use of the Geese Police. These dogs are trained to harass the geese by running around the outside of the pond, but they do not munch on the feathered critters. I don't know what they cost, but you can Google this type of service. Good luck.

[birddog]

There is a grape spray you can put on the grass that the geese will not eat and keeps them away since they won’t eat the grass. You will need to apply it after a rain because it will be washed away. If the area is rural enough a 12 guage works great!

[Gerry Zagorski]

Thanks guys!

[Broad Bill]

Gerry, a few years ago when I lived in Califon, I stocked a spring fed pond with 150 trout with Musky Trout Hatchery. Think the guys name I dealt with was Jeff but not 100% sure. Even though three minks ended up eating all the trout, MTH was very helpful discussing pond management. If they can't help, maybe they can provide a name in the area your grandson lives who can. Their link is:

https://www.muskytrouthatchery.net/pages/hatchery-information.html

[Gerry Zagorski]

Perfect thanks!

[Rickhem]

Hi Gerry. I'm a bit north of you in Schoharie County, NY. Same basic issues though.

I have a ½ acre pond on my property, and have been trying to keep it as full of catchable fish as possible. I have LM bass, turtles, frogs, and a lot of sunnies. They were all there when I bought here, so no idea when or how they got in. Pond was built in 1995.

The nearest SUNY college has a fisheries and wildlife department, and they do pond surveys as a part of the training for the students. They did one for the small pond near a rifle and pistol club that I belong to. They did a very comprehensive survey, including water chemistry, substrate composition, aquatic plants present, and they even seined the pond to determine what types of fish and their abundance were in that pond. It was a multi page report that one of the students wrote. I've been in contact with the head of that department since COVID, and he has me on their list for ponds to be surveyed, but it hasn't happened yet. I'd think that Cook College at Rutgers must have something similar, and it would be good press all around for them to take a look at your pond.

Something to look into would be the addition of some grass carp. I have them in my pond, and had to get a permit from our state DEC to buy four of them from the fish farm, based upon the size of my pond. In about 3 years they went from about 12" to well over 24". I bought four, but I'm only seeing three lately, so one may have died. They eat all the vegetation that you're going to have in a shallow pond such as yours. Mine is 11 feet deep in the center, but weeds are a problem everywhere. It's also kind of fun to see these giant submarine looking fish swimming around, so it has spectator appeal.

The geese are most problematic in this part of the spring/summer transition. They're looking for nesting sites, and they sure do draw a crowd once a couple take up residence. I make it a point to chase them every time I see them, and it's to the point that once they see me up near the house, they start honking and fly away. It's an annual event dealing with them at around ice-out. Last thing I want is that ring of poop around the pond, and all the bad things that come with it. It's a lot of work chasing them for these few weeks, but they must have memory, cause their appearance tapers off and then just stops. They'll taint the water in a small pond enough that I think this is your biggest issue right now.

[Dclark2]

I hear they taste like chicken ....