Summer 2003

Managing Mississippi Farm Ponds
by James L. Cummins

Mississippi has approximately 250,000 acres of farm ponds ranging in size from 1/4 to 5 acres. There are approximately 150,000 acres of small lakes that are as much as 40 acres in size.

Because of inadequate planning, poor construction or a lack of management, many farm ponds in Mississippi do not produce the amount of fish desired by the owner, or more importantly the owner's grandkids.

A quality farm pond depends on location, design, construction, habitat development, the proper stocking rate and management, such as proper harvest, fertilization and weed control. Many times, farm ponds in Mississippi can produce 5 to 10 times more pounds of fish than they currently produce if they are managed for a quality fisheries resource.

Regarding construction, the Natural Resources Conservation Service and private engineers with experience in farm pond and lake construction should be consulted for the proper design and construction.

Ponds should be stocked with the right species and the right balance of species to ensure that a sustainable, balanced fishery can be maintained. Unbalanced farm ponds are one of the most frequent problems. Ponds should be stocked with 500 bluegill/redear per acre, 50 bass per acre and 50 channel catfish per acre. Crappie should not be stocked in lakes less than 500 acres in size as they will overpopulate a lake and result in stunted fish.

Management is the next concern. Almost all ponds, except those in the extremely productive parts of Mississippi, such as the Delta, need to be limed and fertilized. Most ponds require 2 to 3 tons per acre of lime. This treatment will usually last from 2 to 5 years, depending on the acidity of the soil. For more information on fertilization, see Table 1.

Fertilizer, which stimulates growth of microscopic plants and animals, will cause the water to turn green or "bloom," in addition to discouraging growth of some problem aquatic weeds. Phosphorus is essential to increasing fish production; triple superphosphate (0-46-0), when applied at the correct rate, is the most economical. A simple soil test will determine the amount of fertilizer needed and if liming is needed.

Once one is on a good fertilization program, good fishing can be enjoyed for years to come if the fish population of the pond is managed properly. This means harvesting the correct number and species of fish each year.

With new ponds, fishing should begin 2 years after the initial stocking. But, even at this time, as well as the next, or second year of fishing, most bass should be released back into the pond. Most of the bream (bluegill and redear) that are caught should be kept. A good rule of thumb is to keep a minimum of 10 pounds of bream for every pound of bass. Most ponds in Mississippi are underfished for bream and can withstand much more harvest - a great project for those grandkids!

Too, most ponds are overfished for bass. This is the most common problem in farm pond management. When this occurs, bass cannot control bream and the bream become overpopulated. As a result, the bream will be stunted. This can reduce or even stop bass reproduction.

Most of the time, the status of the pond's balance can be determined by fishing success. For example, when one catches a few large bass and many small bream, the bream are overpopulated. When one catches small bass and large bream, there is probably an overpopulation of bass. In many instances increased fishing pressure on the overcrowded species will bring the pond back into balance. Ponds that have too many bream can be corrected by adding additional bass. Adding fifty, 8 to 10 inch bass or twenty 12 to 14 inch bass per acre can be effective.

Once your pond is under the proper management, to aid in catching fish, fish structure can greatly increase harvest. Structure can be in the form of trees, such as blackjack oak or old Christmas trees, drop-offs or logs.

Structure can be made of various designs. For example, one proven design consists of three or four full trees that are crossed to form a pyramid. The bases of the trees should be braced together using four to six feet long pieces of lumber. Holes should be driven through the base of the trees and the weights should be attached using #12 UF cable. The structures will stand upright on the bottom and have a height between 10 and 16 feet.

Structure can either be set out as single structures or in groups of usually 3 to 5 trees in either a triangular setup or set in a line down the slope of drops-offs. Structure should be weighted with concrete blocks (2 to 2.5 feet in length) weighing approximately 60 pounds each. They should be placed in 5 - 10 water near points, creek channels or artificial drop offs. Another design may be the use of stake beds. For ponds less than one acre, one fish structure is plenty. Otherwise, use one fish structure per 2 or 3 acres.

Spawning beds for bream are also useful for catching fish. Spawning beds are made by covering portions of the pond with gravel to create areas desired by bream. Spawning beds should be located in 2 to 4 feet of water near locations that are convenient for fishing. Use 3 to 5 cubic yards of washed gravel (1/2 to 1 inch in diameter) and place so that a spawning site approximately 12 to 15 feet in diameter is created. One should avoid sites that have a sedimentation problem.

Harvest of this surplus of fish due to the increase in structure will not affect reproductive potential, but should result in increased growth and condition of fish and a positive response to the increased carrying capacity.

Now that you have all ingredients in the formula for fishing success - good location, design, construction, the proper stocking rate and management - it is time to carry those grandkids fishing and introduce the to something they will remember forever. And besides, a farm pond bank is a much better place to be than on the streets of some city.


Table 1. Fertilization and Liming Rates For Mississippi Farm Ponds.

James L. Cummins, a fisheries biologist by training, is Executive Director of the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation.