# Muskies in a POND?



## 1roofmusky (May 20, 2008)

How large and deep would a pond/small lake have to be to support some Tiger Muskies or Pike?

What would be the best Esox species to stock for survival and panfish control?


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## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

My uncle was one of two guys allowed to fish a pond in Bucyrus many years ago. This pond was approximately 2 acres and the deepest hole was about 14 feet deep. He caught a 24" musky out of the Sandusky river one year and transferred it to the private pond(who knew such things were not to be done 20 years ago?). Anyway, the musky lived in the pond just fine. It grew to about 34-35" max size. It lived in the pond for about 7 or 8 years. He would catch it at least once a year and a couple times got it in early summer and again in the fall. He has several pictures of it, and claims it wasn't hard to catch. It would readily take a jig n pig or a rapala. However, once caught for a particular year...........usually would swim off if a bait was presented to it. He enjoyed knowing the fish and seeing it year in and year out. 

As for stocking them in numbers............I certainly would not. I could maybe see having 2 or 3 in a big pond, but anything more than that would probably be over-kill unless it's a really big pond. Also does the pond have a good under-water spring. If not the water temp may become intolerable in the summer time for pike and possibly for a musky as well.


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## [email protected] (Dec 22, 2006)

You're question is a little too general to really give a good answer but a pond could likely only produce enough forage to support a max of 1 or 2 per acre and they probably wouldn't be very practical in a pond less than 10 acres. Who would want a 1 acre pond with only 1 predator fish? You would want to eliminate the possiblity of reproduction in lakes/ponds to make them more manageable by stocking fish of the same sex. 100,000 esox, the equivilent to 1 adult female spawn, sounds like a dream lake but not so much if they don't have enough food to grow bigger than 15" or 16". Musky and Northern pike prefer water that is around 75 degrees but can tolerate temps up to 85 or 90 degrees for short periods of time. Many ponds in Ohio fall into the temperature range. Northern pike take to lake environments better than musky.

More than 1 or 2 per acre could be grown but the owner would have to commit to supplementally stocking a large amount of forage. They have pretty food conversion, gaining a pound for every 2.5 to 3.5lbs of forage consumed so this could possibly be an option if a pond owner main goal is an Esox fishery.


Here's a good article from Dr. Dave Willis on pike worth reading
http://www.bassresource.com/fish_biology/pike.html


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

If your're looking for snakes a better bet would be either chain pickeral or grass pike. I've seen small ponds 1-2 acrres with pickeral in NE Ohio and also creeks with grass pike...You're talking 1-2 pound fish...


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## 1roofmusky (May 20, 2008)

What if the pond was around 5 acres, areas over 20ft deep, and packed with tulapia or goldfish?


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

I'd think you'd be able to get some decent pike growing. I know of a private spring fed lake in Gea. County about that size with teethy critters. Plus where I go fishing in Canada, they is a beaver created pond that is almost all snakes due to a lack of forage trapped whemn the beavers built there dam. Having goldfish or carp may provide the food they need to grow. I'd worry that they wouldn't reproduce well but I'd go for it. Maybe contact Jones hatchery for their input?


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## Tokugawa (Apr 29, 2008)

Check it out:

http://www.bassresource.com/fish_biology/pike.html


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## 1roofmusky (May 20, 2008)

Thanks Tokugawa, that was an interesting read.


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## Fishman (Apr 5, 2004)

General rule of thumb is 1 per acre in lakes. I rarley recommend people stock them unless they have a big body a water, and as far as ponds go they really don't have any business being in there unless you're going to put the work into supplying'em with enough food. For a 5 acre lake I'de stock 4 total if you really were interested in giving it a shot.


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

That wa sa good read and I had read it before, probably on PB.com, anyways, I had always wanted to have a chain pickerel pond. I wonder if the management from a stand point of CP being a top predator is they could /would crop out the medium sized panfish and perch ( instead of working from the top size down like the NP do) and leave some to grow to trophy size??? Remember that CP top out around 3.5 lbs or so in pond environments. Hmmm, ( gears turning) Maybe in my next pond......
I am still trying to figure mine out and figure it will be at least a 5-6 year project before i truly know if my management goals were achieved. 

Salmonid


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## Fishman (Apr 5, 2004)

To heck with chain pickerel, how about bowfins


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## [email protected] (Dec 22, 2006)

Tokugawa, thanks for reposting the link I had already posted. Maybe I need to start making shorter posts...


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## Tokugawa (Apr 29, 2008)

DOH!!! Sorry 'about that Pond. Maybe I should READ a little closer.


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