Just make sure the water temperature is above 60 degrees. If fertilization was not started in the spring, it can be started any time during the year, Sink said. Fertilizing above 65 degrees may help rooted plants and result in a dense mess in the pond. Most undesirable submerged vegetation comes out of dormancy at water temperatures above 65 degrees, he said. Most phytoplankton are dormant below 60 degrees, so fertilization will be ineffective at lower temperatures. Fertilization can also limit the establishment of nuisance rooted vegetation by blocking sunlight to the bottom of the pond.įertilization is optimally started in the spring when the water temperature is between 60-65 degrees, Sink said. The recommended fertilization programs can produce four to six times more fish than without, he said. Texas Pond Food Chain (graphic by Madison Goss) “The pond won’t produce as much food as it will when fertilized.” “This creates a phytoplankton bloom, which produces food for baitfish, crawfish, insects and other organisms at the base of the sportfish food-chain, as well as for larval sportfish themselves,” he said. Most ponds benefit from 5-8 pounds of liquid or powdered, not pelleted, phosphorus per acre. Sink also recommends a fertilization program if landowners want maximum fish production from their pond. Those products create a very gradual shift in pH. Landowners with fish in their ponds can add crushed agricultural limestone, or ag lime, to correct alkalinity or pH issues without creating adverse conditions for fish populations. Hydrated lime, quicklime or slaked lime cannot be added to a pond with fish because the rapid pH change can cause a fish kill. This provides the best environment for the fish and the pond’s food chain.Ĭrushed agricultural limestone, hydrated lime, quicklime or slaked lime can be added to low-alkalinity or low pH ponds to create a more productive environment for fish and their food prior to stocking, he said. Landowners should work toward creating alkalinity levels between 50-150 parts per million and a pH of 6-9, Sink said. “ Water tests can catch problems and allow you to fix them before you stock fish and are useful to determine lime and fertilizer rates to optimize fish production,” he said. This is especially important in East Texas because soils are typically acidic, which leads to low-alkalinity, acidic waters. Take a water sample for analyses to determine the chemistry of the pond, Sink said. Sink said setting up the pond’s environment to support the food chain from phytoplankton, the foundation for the entire food-chain, to large-mouthed bass is the first and most critical step. “Rushing the process by stocking the wrong fish or stocking fish in the wrong order can result in unbalanced populations and poor fishing that can take many years of intense management to fix.” Before stocking fish, focus on environment “Everyone wants their pond to be set up from the start, but doing it right takes focusing on the long game,” he said. But like many things in life, good things come to those who wait. But a planned approach, starting with creating a good environment and a strong food-chain, will set the pond up for successful establishment and fishing opportunities.Ī planned approach takes time – up to three years – before sportfish like largemouth bass are harvested, Sink said. Todd Sink, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension aquaculture specialist, College Station, said many landowners believe simply adding fish to a pond will result in a healthy and sustainable fish population. Springtime is the right time to begin the process of stocking new ponds with fish, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert.