Depth of the pond

[DragonAge]

When you go fishing how important is the depth of the pond? Do you feel that deeper ponds make for better fishing? Or do you prefer larger shallower ponds?

[ChadTower]

Knowing the depth can help you keep your bait suspended at a specific height above the bottom. That is good for some fish.

[Grandpa]

Deep and Shallow are relative terms, but shallow around here is usually poor fishing because of winter kill.

[wvbreamfisherman]

Depends a lot on the fish. Some fish like the shallows and weeds- bluegills and bass for example. Chain pickeral like to hang out in weeds as well. Other fish tend to hang out in different depths at different times of the season, and at different water temps.

Knowing something about the habits of the fish you're trying to catch is a big help in knowing what depth of water to look in.

Around here, too shallow a pond can get too warm in really hot weather and allow the oxygen levels to get too low. It can also kill off fish like gizzard shad,which are a common forage fish. Doesn't effect carp or catfish much, tho.

[dinosaur]

Deep water can also be a problem for oxygen levels. Without proper circulation, there will be a depth beyond which there is no oxygen for the fish to breathe. This is called a thermocline. Spring fed ponds don't have to be very deep to house a large variety of fish because the water is moving, well aerated, and generally quite cold at the bottom even if only 6 to eight feet in depth.

[Ilovelife]

Originally Posted by Grandpa

Deep and Shallow are relative terms, but shallow around here is usually poor fishing because of winter kill.

I hope you don't mind me sounding like a total fishing newb for a moment. I just wanted to ask you what winter kill is. I haven't heard that term before.

[Scotty]

I don't think it makes much difference. Like wvbream said, different fish like different conditions. Part of fishing is to learn what type of environment the fish you want to fish for, like. Then finding that environment and fishing is the next step.

[dinosaur]

Originally Posted by Ilovelife

I hope you don't mind me sounding like a total fishing newb for a moment. I just wanted to ask you what winter kill is. I haven't heard that term before.

Winter kill happens when a body of water freezes over. The fish use up the oxygen in the water and pump out carbon dioxide. Since there is no circulation from wind, the water cannot throw off the CO and replenish oxygen for the fish to breathe.

[Freebird11]

Too many fish in small pond
Many smaller ponds, naturally, there would be fish and these are the ponds used by plants and animals that simply do not mix well with fish. So if you have a small garden pond, its often the best way to keep fish if you want to see lots of wildlife.
The problems begin when people add more fish to a pond than it would be natural. Particularly in the garden pond, half a dozen a goldfish can have a major impact, reducing the pool of green algae soup.

Native Fish
Ponds with natural fish populations can be fantastic, and of course, the ponds are important for species such as eel (now much less common than it once was) and crucian carp.
Our native fish, especially goldfish, may be threatened when other species of fish are released into the wild. These problems are compounded when the ponds are densely populated with non-native fish.
Think twice before releasing the fish in a pond
It is illegal to release any fish in ponds or water bodies (excluding garden ponds), unless you have consent from the Environment Agency or the Agency Scottish Environment Protection, or a garden pond no connection to other bodies of water that the fish are not going to be able to escape.
The release of fish in a pond used by great crested newt may contravene the law in the UK and the European Union.

Fish Management
For more information about the control of fish, especially in ponds associated with great crested newt, you can download the sheet Amphibian and Reptile Conservation advice, "Control Methods for Conservation Fishing crested newt.

Fish and Ponds
Good management of fish ponds can be excellent for wildlife, and provide an important refuge for many species of fresh water.
Fishing can cause problems when excessive amounts of protein rich primers are not eating, the addition of unwanted nutrients in the pond. This can lead to algal blooms or excessive duckweed, which in turn the pond less good for the welfare of fish.
It should also be careful when removing the weeds, to create anything for the fish, as in weed heat can result in the pool of flipping in a state of algal type. IESS others may include litter, discarded line, hooks and transfer of fish diseases through poor sanitation (networks and boots, etc).