Fish Descriptions

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Largemouth Bass  Micropterus sal moides

A highly adaptive and well-suited predator for ponds and small lakes, the largemouth bass is undoubtedly North America’s most popular game fish.  Reaching lengths of 20 inches, largemouth have a varied diet including crustaceans, insects, fish, and reptiles.  Preferred habitat includes abundant vegetation and clear water with spawning occurring on gravel, sand, and hard clays. 

Hybrid Striped Bass  Morone saxatilis x M. chrysops

A genetic cross between a striped bass and a white bass, the hybrid striped bass combines excellent fish diversity and manageability within ponds and small lakes.  Hybrid stripers are a pelagic—open water—species, inhabiting areas not occupied by traditional pond predators.  Hybrid stripers do not reproduce in ponds and obtain lengths up to 25 inches.  

Yellow Perch  Perca flavescens

Renowned for its mild, flaky flesh, the yellow perch is becoming ever-more popular for stocking into ponds and small lakes.  Although adapted to large lake inhabitance, the yellow perch can be successfully raised in smaller ponds and lakes with a little effort.  Yellow perch primarily feed on insects and small fish in and around vegetated areas and reach lengths of 14 inches.  

Bluegill  Lepomis macrochirus

Undisputedly, bluegill are the most popular prey species for ponds and small lakes.  In ponds, bluegills primarily consume small crustaceans and insects.  Preferred spawning habitats include shallow sand, gravel, or muck bottoms, where nests are constructed and guarded by the male.  Reaching lengths of 10 inches, bluegills provide excellent fishing and table fare.  

Redear Sunfish  Lepomis microlophus

A close relative of the bluegill, redear Sunfish have proven to be an excellent addition to many ponds.  In addition to feeding on small crustaceans and insects, redear prefer a diet of snails and other mollusks.  Upon spawning, redear also move inshore and build nests in gravel, sand, and clay bottoms.  Throughout the rest of the year, redear gravitate around structure, making them better suited for ponds used for swimming.

White Amur  Ctenopharyngodon idella

White amur or grass carp provide an effective and economical means of controlling specific types of unwanted rooted vegetation.  Certified sterile, white amur will not reproduce in ponds.  White amur often obtain lengths of 36-48 inches within 3-7 years of stocking.

Fathead Minnow  Pimephales promelas

Fatheads are a robust forage fish stocked primarily to enhance the growth of predators within a pond.  With adults only reaching 1.5 – 3.0 inches in length, they provide excellent forage for small to medium size largemouth bass and yellow perch.  Spawning habitat includes the underside of submerged structures such as rocks and logs.