Stocking Fish on Private Land

[Cads]

I am interested in stocking fish in my ponds. I have one 5 acre pond and another 8 acre pond.

I believe the conditions would be typical to a reservoir because we have had beavers build these thing up over the past 20 plus years. The depths range from 6-10 feet and streams run through them, so I would assume they would create enough oxygen, which would prevent a winter kill or freeze out. The soil condition are mostly stiff clay with areas of silty sand and boulders. We have lots of down trees and stumps along the shore line. For forage, we have mudminnows an the obvious insects.

The fish I would like to stock are bass, crappies, & sunfish, but opinions may vary.

I would like to get some opinions on

1. What should I stock?

2. Quantities?

3. An idea of cost of stocking as well as yearly cost for upkeep/maintenance.

4. Are permits required?

5. Who should I purchase from?

6. Are there grants available?

This is new to me so additional input would be appreciated. I'm sure there will be questions, so shoot away. Thanks in advance!

[merkman]

Throw John an e-mail he will help you out.

[email protected]

The following is an e-mail I had with him from 2004, the rules may have changed since then.

From: John <>

To: merk

Sent: Tue, September 7, 2004

Subject: Re: Stock pond.

Merk,

I'll answer your questions in order..... sort of.

Yes IF get a stocking permit OR you can get a hobbyist hatchery/farm license. The former is free but the state owns your fish the moment they hit the water. You will need a angling license and obey all the fishing laws. The latter allows you to take your fish anytime and any way you want but you have to pay the state every year. I think it's $70 per year.

Yes you can buy fish from me for your pond.

You can stock just about any Minnesota fish you want in the pond provided it is out of the 25-year floodplain and has no connection to public water.

As far as number it will depend on species.

Do NOT run your circulation pumps in the winter. You will supercool your pond and kill most if not all of your fish. Buy a small aerator pump or better yet a submersible pump. The aerator needs to run continously and the air line needs to be buried or insulated. The submersible can freeze in and will re-open the hole in the ice once you turn it on. I would position either of them off to one side. I would put the submersible on a timer and only run it for one day a week. You do NOT need to keep a hole open at all times.

Hope this helps.

John