Fish Stocking
How many fish do I stock into my pond?
Stoney Creek Fisheries recommends a maximum of 1,000 total game fish per acre, assuming the pond is in good shape and aerated. If not, then stock less. The key to a healthy fish population is to (1) avoid over-stocking, (2) manage your pond to avoid over-populations and (3) maintain a sensible ratio of predator to prey species. Remember an aerated pond can support more fish than one without aeration.
What fish do I stock into my pond?
Consider these 2 questions: (1) What is main purpose of my pond? A fishing pond? A swimming pond? An irrigation pond? A wildlife attractant? etc., etc. and (2) What fish do you like to catch and eat? The staff at Stoney Creek Fisheries can help you determine what makes sense for your pond goal.
Do I need to feed my fish?
A healthy, balanced pond feeds itself. Feeding … fish food and/or minnows … is your choice. Additional feed/forage will accelerate growth. Fathead minnows are a great choice as a natural food. Stock them in the spring and fall. With proper spawning habitat, fathead minnows spawn monthly from spring through fall. Supplemental feeding of fish pellets provides additional growth. Feed small quantities of a high quality fish food. Inexpensive fish feed will produce inferior results and can even reduce pond water quality.
Do I always need to acclimate my fish into my pond?
Yes … always acclimate (temper) your fish every time you stock. Temper by either (1) floating the unopened bags of fish in your pond or (2) open the bags and add small amounts of pond water to each bag until water temperatures are similar. Time required to temper is dependent upon the difference in temperature between the bag water and the pond water. Release the fish into as deep of water as possible.
Do I need a permit to stock fish in my pond?
The Michigan DNR dictates pond stocking permit requirements and issues the permits. In general, you will need a permit: (1) if you have public access, (2) if the DNR ever stocked your pond in the past, and (3) if you have an outlet that eventually connects with waters of the state. See the MI-DNR website for more details.
What size of fish should I stock?
This is a balancing act … between cost, ease of transportation, what fish are currently in your pond, and available pond cover. A healthy pond, with adequate weed cover and other structure, can be stocked with a variety of sizes. Understand that big fish eat small fish … it’s going to happen.
Do I need to aerate my pond?
Absolutely … ALL PONDS SHOULD BE AERATED! There is a long list of benefits for a pond with correctly sized and placed aeration. You’ll never regret spending the money on proper pond aeration. If you don’t aerate in Michigan, you will experience a winter-kill at some point in time.
What are Fish Days?
Fish Days are annual events where a hosting location will take your order for the scheduled date and time of their Fish Day. It’s a great way to attain small batches of fish without traveling to Stoney Creek Fisheries. Fish Days occur spring and fall with locations, dates and times listed on our website and in our catalog. Again, bring your pails! Learn more >
What about large fish orders?
For fish orders too large to bag safely, delivery directly to your pond with one of our fish trucks can be arranged. There is a delivery fee, with the amount dependent upon the distance to your pond. Delivery fees range from $85.00 to $200.00+. Delivery distances greater than 150 miles will require a quote. Stoney Creek Fisheries only delivers within Michigan.
What do I need to pick up my fish at Stoney Creek Fisheries?
Bring plastic pails in the 3 to 6 gallon range. In your pails, we’ll add a fish bag, the counted fish and water; the bag is then filled with oxygen and sealed. The number of pails required depends on the number of fish, size of fish, temperatures, and distance (time) to travel back to your pond. Assume approximately 50 fish per pail.
When is the best time to stock fish?
The 2 best times are Spring (mid-April thru mid-June) and Fall (mid-September through late-October) when water temperatures are “cool” to allow proper fish handling.
How often do I stock more fish?
The frequency of fish stocking can be annual, bi-annual or even less, depending on goals of your pond and losses. Most of our customers stock annually or bi-annually, with numbers and species dictated by what they have harvested for consumption or lost to predators or winter-kill.