Most pond owners wish that something was a little bit different about the pond on their property. Maybe it’s that the water’s too muddy. Maybe it’s that there’s too many weeds. Or maybe the fishing just isn’t what it used to be.

There are a lot of parts to pond management in East Texas. Let’s start working through a few of the more common ones. First, you can’t manage the fish population if you never remove any of them. 

A common problem that lots of folks have is that they catch fish and throw them back because it’s not the right size or the right kind. The truth is that if you don’t catch and harvest some—heck, even throw them over the pond for the raccoons to eat—you’ll never get the fish population you’re hoping for.

A pond managed for trophy bass fishing is handled very differently than a pond where the main goal is simply for the grandkids to catch fish.

Next is muddy water. Muddy water is suspended clay that will just not settle out. It could be from runoff, from livestock wading into ponds and stirring it up, or it could be from erosion. 

Muddy water limits the sunlight that’s going to reach the bottom. The benefit of that is that muddy water will limit most plant growth, but conversely, it may affect fish productivity. And if you don’t like the looks of it, it’s not going to likely clear up on its own. 

In ponds with consistently muddy water caused by suspended clay, gypsum applications can sometimes help settle particles out and gradually improve water clarity.

Next is a big one, weeds. Not all weeds are a problem. Having 15-25 percent of your pond covered in vegetation is often beneficial. 

Vegetation provides habitat for fish, oxygen, and cover for several smaller species. But when there is too much vegetation, you may have problems. 

Specific problems that we really don’t need a lot of at all would be duckweed, filamentous algae, shoreline grasses, and maybe even some primrose. While cleaning up a pond is beneficial, the goal is not to have a sterile pond.

A hidden factor in many pond problems is water quality. Poor water quality reduces oxygen levels and often develops from excessive organic matter, nutrient runoff, or too much decaying vegetation. The real danger comes during hot summer weather when oxygen levels can suddenly crash and cause a fish die-off. 

You’ll be able to tell if you have poor water quality if you have fish gulping at the surface near sunrise, if you have a foul, rotting odor from the pond, or if the algae bloom (the green color) suddenly turns dark. 

Many of these pond problems don’t show up during a pleasant spring weather. They’re going to show up in the stress of July and August when it’s hot and dry. 

So, what do we do? We get out there and walk our pond regularly. We see the erosion. We notice how much vegetation is. We observe, when we walk in the morning, if the fish are up at the surface gasping for breath. 

To wrap up, the best pond owners are not the ones spending the most money. They are the ones paying attention to all the cues and the small problems before they become expensive ones.

If you wish to learn more about farm pond management, the Angelina County office of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will host a farm pond management seminar on Tuesday, June 2 at 6:00 pm. This class will focus on weed control, muddy water, and avoiding fish die-offs. 1 CEU for pesticide licenses. There is no fee for the seminar. Call 936.634.6414 for more information.

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Cary Sims is the County Extension Agent for agriculture and natural resources for Angelina County. His email address is cw-sims@tamu.edu.   

Educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, national origin, genetic information, or veteran status.  The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating.