Pond and Lake Management
The resources provided on this website should help you plan and manage your pond for years of success. A pond that consistently produces good fishing is a result of proper construction, stocking, and management. That is why the three golden rules of pond management are:
- Build it right!
- Stock it right!
- Fish it right!
You must clearly define your objectives in the beginning. Ask yourself, “How will I use the pond and what type of fishing do I want to have?” Establishing objectives will help you properly design the pond and create an effective management plan.
Not all objectives are possible in a single pond. For example, if you want to raise trophy bream, chances are you will not be able to grow many big bass, too. Landowners with multiple ponds may consider applying different management plans on different ponds.
After the pond is completed, success or failure depends on using practices to establish and maintain good fish populations. Proper stocking with the correct species and numbers of fish, stocking at the proper time of year, balancing harvest, managing water quality, and controlling aquatic weeds are basics you should understand.
Follow the links above, watch the management videos, and visit the additional resources provided. Finally, have fun and enjoy your private fishing paradise!
Publications
News
BILOXI, Miss. -- The results of the Great Red Snapper Count are in!
In 2017, a team of fisheries experts began a two-year task of estimating the population size of red snappers in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico through this unprecedented, federally funded $12 million project. Scientists from several Southeastern universities and institutes, including Mississippi State University, used a variety of methods across the Gulf to accomplish this ambitious goal.
Having “stickers” in your yard can be quite the nuisance. Stumbling upon a patch of stickers while walking barefoot is a painful experience. Plus it’s painful for your four-legged family members! Formally known as lawn burweed, these winter annuals are no fun to deal with.
In the age of COVID-19, we do not need more to worry about. However, the summer of 2019 proved that even recreating in your local pond, stream or beach comes at some risk.
We saw a nationwide outbreak of rare, yet severe, maladies that originated from the water. These problems usually start in the hottest part of summer.
BILOXI, Miss.-- At Mississippi State University’s Coastal Research and Extension Center, we recently aged one of the largest tripletail fish ever caught.
