# Pond stocking



## YellowHogs (Mar 21, 2012)

I have spent about two hours on google trying to find a fish farm or hatchery within about 30-45 minutes from the Trenton area with little to no luck. I have a nice little pond I would like to stock with some yellow perch at a reasonable price. I will be fishing it eventually to manage the population.

I am not a expert on stocking ponds with fish but I welcome all advise to this project I am going to take on. The pond is roughly 1/2-1/4 acre and has aeration year round and is a private little pond that rarely freezes completely in the winter. I know I need some smaller fish as food for the perch also. How many perch and feeder fish should I stock the pond with?

This may not be in the right section but it was either this or the warm water fishing section...


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## JBooth (Sep 21, 2009)

From what I've heard 1000/per acre for minnows, and a couple hundred per acre for perch. Depends what you want. They may reproduce, or they may not. My FIL has a pond that he stocked with perch a year and a half ago, and we finally started seeing them this year. They are 4-5 inches long now and there seem to be quite a few left. They like deep water and will stay there if they find it. Blue gills are a good fishing option.


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## hypox (Jan 23, 2000)

Here is a list of every aquaculture facility in Michigan.

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mda/mda_aquaculture_192478_7.pdf



Stock it with 1 gallon of fathead minnows for the first year. Sink some brush or plastic skids in 1-2' of water for them to reproduce in. The second year, stock it with 100-200 yellow perch depending on actual size of the pond. If you want a good perch pond, don't put any bluegill in it, you'll end up with a pond full of bluegills.


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## 86indy (Apr 25, 2012)

does any one know of what species do best in small ponds? I am interested in stocking our also pond with perch, crappie, and maybe hybrid bluegill once we have it dug out.


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## Rencoho (Oct 18, 2000)

Bass, bluegills, catfish, and hybrid stripers called wipers, I believe, do real well in my small (1/2 acre) pond.


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## 86indy (Apr 25, 2012)

Rencoho said:


> Bass, bluegills, catfish, and hybrid stripers called wipers, I believe, do real well in my small (1/2 acre) pond.


Thanks ill keep this in mind.


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## Rencoho (Oct 18, 2000)

Something I forgot to mention, you may want to do a little research on crappie, my understanding is, they are prone to stunt in small ponds.


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## offshoretroller (Jan 10, 2011)

How great would that be . Forget Simcoe , i'm going in the backyard!!!


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## Chromedoggy (Mar 25, 2007)

I would read the pond stocking info @ http://stoneycreekequip.com/form/stockrate.htm

Stoney Creek delivers and they carry Perch.
Imlay City Fish Farm delivers also, but I don't know about perch.


This farm in Ohio might be the closest
http://www.finfarm.com/contactUs.php


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