# quarry lake



## fishfarmer (Dec 24, 2008)

anybody have experience with a quarry pond? Mine is 1 acre 30ft deep in all areas. recommendations concerning aeration, types of fish to stock? I currently have a large population of small shad < 3 inches.


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## [email protected] (Dec 22, 2006)

Generally, quarrys aren't very fertile which means they cannot support a large population of fish. Is your water very clear? Is there much water flowing through? What other species of fish are present besides gizzard shad? Is there weeds or structure present? What are your goals, lots of catching, food for the table, trophy fish? any species of particular interest?

Bottom diffuser aeration usually gives you the most bang for your buck both in initial cost and long term operating costs. They also have the ability to aerate much deeper than fountain type aerators.


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## katfish (Apr 7, 2004)

I think that before spending money on aeration systems I would check existing O2 concentrations at critical times. Get an O2 meter and check various water depths during August when levels would be lowest.

Pits are notoriously infertile but a good shad population suggests algae growth and a base of preyfish is essential for good populations of sportfish.

Also local health departments can perform water samples for a small fee. Tell the technician you are interested in fertility so he can home in on those tests.

After you are satisfied with good results of oxygen levels and fertility you can get recommendations from DNR or Fish farms for stocking rates. If suitable habitat is not available for spawning you must maintain populations with regular stocking.


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## fishfarmer (Dec 24, 2008)

my lake stays clear all year long. I think it gets underground runoff from the west branch of the rocky. Not much structure except downed trees , a small ledge probably 2-3 feet deep runs the edges. Im interested in sportfish. Thanks for the replies.


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## [email protected] (Dec 22, 2006)

Get the water tested, it's cheap and will give you a baseline for further improvements.

Shad present means it will support fish which is good but gizzard shad are bad. Gizzard shad quickly outgrow the predators, overpopulate and suppress more desireable species. Is draining the pond an option? I take it you're up near Cleveland?

What type of sportfish do you want and what are your goals for them? Lots of catching or catching a few big ones? 

What Region of Ohio are you located?


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## fishfarmer (Dec 24, 2008)

I'm in cleveland, on the west branch of the rocky river. No way to drain the lake. Would like to catch big fish-bass,catfish. Would smallmouth be feasible? As I catch them in the river behind my house. Not sure if the shad I have are gizzard shad.


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## Po[email protected] (Dec 22, 2006)

Smallmouth are feasable but I wouldn't recommend them with gizzard shad for forage. If you have shad, you have gizzard shad. Threadfins shad are good in most cases better than gizzards because they don't grow nearly as big but threadfins won't survive winters up here.

Your best bet would be to get rid of the gizzard shad either by draining or a piscicide. 

I'm living with gizzard shad but my water is very fertile and I'm supplementally feeding. I also cast net and seine to remove shad and have stocked hybrid stripers to help control numbers. Hybrid stripers are very effective at controlling shad in the small window when the shad are small enough for them to be eaten. Smallmouth are not effective open water feeders and are limited by their small mouth. Largemouth and hybrid stripers could be used together to try to manage the shad but the largemouth growth will likely not be as good as it could be with a more suitable forage such as bluegill or golden shiners.

What do you think about a feeding program? Feeding will put weight on the fish both directly and indirectly by increasing fertility. 

It seems as though it might be a good idea to delay aeration until some predators get established. I don't know for sure but it seems like starting up an aerator could release nutrients and cause a bloom which could cause the shad population to explode...might want to check with an expert on this as it's pretty far outside my experience.

Low fertility means low productivity so if you want big fish the stocking numbers should probably be very low.

Also note there's a lot of variables and I'm mostly trying to convey information not hard recommendations.


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## fishfarmer (Dec 24, 2008)

Thanks for the reply and the info. Im pretty sure I have golden shiners not shad. Will do the water testing in the spring, and probaby start with largemouth and smallmouth. Any recommendations on brand type for the aerators?


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## Fishman (Apr 5, 2004)

If you've got a golden shiner infestation... well you got a good thing going.


I really doubt you need an aeration system if you have a pond like I'm thinking..... I may of missed it, but it sounds to me like this was a limestone pit if it 30' in all areas? Likley very clear? What's the bottom of the pond composed of, rock, mud, gravel, sand.. ect.


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## fishfarmer (Dec 24, 2008)

Its a sandstone quarry not sure of the bottom. It does stay clear. Pretty sure I have golden shiners.


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## JIG (Nov 2, 2004)

Pending on the age of the cut it probably holds alot of other things. Sometimes fish are very spooky in those type of waters and tend to suspend. The trees hold most the fish year round. Shad I would think wouldnt live long being most cuts are limited on the amount of O2. TheY only have run-off and very little wind. They also have one side of the cut thats a ledge and the other sloped. Sometimes on the ends or were they stopped backfill. Gives the fish a flat to use. They cant spawn in cuts very well.


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

There must be very few gamefish with all those shiners.. Just a guess. When you do stock them, consider installing some cover for those shiners to hide so they don't get eaten upp too quickly! you may have this already, just a thought. Do you have any pictures?


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## Fishman (Apr 5, 2004)

Soon as the ice comes off try to cast net some of those things and we'll identify'em for ya. Interested in seeing them. You'de think with either shad or golden shiners you would have saw larger fish.

There's really quite a few variables I may of missed, but does this pond have a lot of rooted vegetation growth on the bottom or is it just clear water and all you can see on the bottom is rocks/sand? How many feet down in the water can you see?


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## fishfarmer (Dec 24, 2008)

I can see probably 10-15 feet down not sure of the bottom never seen it , no rooted vegetation. Will net some of the fish and post them with the ice out. I've netted a few in the past and used them for bait in the river behind my house and the smallmouth loved them. I can also catch the bigger ones with a bobber and small piece of worm.


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## [email protected] (Dec 22, 2006)

That sure sounds like a shiner. I think they grow to about 8" and I've caught them while fishing for panfish on occasion. They are great bass forage. With no other types of fish present, you may be in a position for some tremendous growth if bass are introduced.


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## valeriec (Feb 9, 2008)

If you are seeing lots of shiners that probably means that the pond is not currently supporting much of a predator population. Because shiners eat zooplankton and phytoplankton they may be responsible for the clarity of the water. If you are concerned about the productivity of the pond and what type of fish population it can support, we can send you a water sample test kit for nutrients (if your health department can not do it). Also, getting the O2 levels at the bottom of the pond is a good place to start.
As far as the fish go, depending on the productivity, quarries can support healthy largemouth, smallmouth, crappie, and yellow perch populations- just be careful not to stock too many predators. Give us a call to discuss stocking rates, water quality, etc.

Valerie 
Aquatic Biologist, ATAC 
1-888-998-POND


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## Tokugawa (Apr 29, 2008)

That pond sounds neat! If it does go immediately to deep water, I'd be careful with kids around it. It is one thing to have a pond that starts shallow and slopes to deep water. It is another for a pond that goes straight to 30' deep. You might even consider a fence around it.


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