Pond and Lake Stocking

We are a local fish farm here to help you have the pond or lake that meets your needs and desires!  Email us at fishtmo@gmail.com to discuss stocking your pond!

 

Every pond or lake is different, and each has an eco-system distinct to its environment.  With that said, there is no one size fits all.  Depending on your goals, there are several strategies to pond stocking. 

 

The most common strategy is to combine large mouth bass (predator fish) and bluegill/redear sunfish (feeder fish) at a ratio of 2 bluegill to 1 bass.  This combination provides excellent fishing for both species because of their relationship.  The natural ecosystem in a healthy pond will provide sufficient plankton and larvae to supply food for the bass and bluegill.  The bluegill will reproduce and grow rapidly in this environment and will, in turn, provide excellent forage for bass.  As long as the bass are not over-harvested, the bluegill will not overpopulate.  Some larger bluegill will survive bass predation and will provide excellent bluegill fishing.  

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Another type of fish to consider stocking are channel catfish.  You can stock only catfish if you wish, or you can add them to the bass and bluegill pond.  If you do, you need to be aware that catfish may muddy up the pond since they are bottom dwellers.  Also, they will consume some of the food supply and may reduce the overall size of the bass and bluegill in the pond.  Avoid this by supplement feeding the catfish.

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Mosquitofish are another good option for pond stocking.  They can help control mosquito larvae and other larvae and they also reproduce rapidly to provide another source of food for predator fish.

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Another fish to consider is hybrid carp (goldfish x common carp) that are sterile (does not reproduce).  They are effective for vegetation control at about a year old.  Adult sizes can be stocked for immediate control.  They can be added to a pond at the rate of 1,000 fingerlings per acre (or 500 adults).  Hybrid carp need a stocking permit.   Apply for the permit here.

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More information on the fish we raise can be found on the Our Fish page.

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For a typical, fully stocked one acre pond, we recommend the following:

200 Large mouth bass fingerlings or 60 adults

400 bluegill fingerlings or 120 adults

200 channel catfish, if desired (supplemental feeding recommended)

1000 mosquitofish 

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If only channel catfish are stocked, the recommended rate is 500 fingerling catfish per acre.

 

We recommend ponds less than one acre be aerated and supplementally fed and stocked at a rate proportional to its size.  Email us at fishtmo@gmail.com for help with stocking rates.

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Prices:

Generally, prices range from $1 to $3 for 1"-3" fingerlings (large mouth bass, bluegill, catfish, hybrid carp, redear sunfish) and .20 each for mosquitofish, depending on availability and time of year.  Larger sizes are available.  Email us at fishtmo@gmail.com to let us know what sizes and types of fish you are interested in.  We will let you know our current prices and availability at that time. 

 

Permits & Regulations:

Please note that customers are responsible for obtaining any permits required to stock fish in their pond or lake. Click here to view regulations from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife site and here for a pond stocking application.

 

In general, stocking permits are NOT needed in 37 counties in California to stock the following species that we raise: channel catfish, largemouth bass, bluegill and redeared sunfish.  The counties where stocking permits are not required are Alameda, Butte, Colusa, Contra Costa, Glenn, Imperial, Kern (except in the Kern River drainage above Democrat Dam), Kings, Lake (except in the Eel River drainage), Merced, Los Angeles, Napa, Orange, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Joaquin, Santa Barbara, Solano, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Ventura, Yolo and Yuba.  PLUS, the following counties west of Highway 49: Amador, El Dorado, Nevada, Tuolumne, Calaveras, Mariposa and Placer. PLUS Fresno, Madera and Tulare counties west of the national park and national forest boundaries.

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Thanks for your interest in us!  Feel free to contact us at fishtmo@gmail.com with any questions you may have.  We are here to help you stock your pond with the most desirable, healthy fish to provide you years of enjoyment!