Texas Fish Stocking, Bass, Channel Catfish, Blue Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Redear Sunfish, Hybrid Striped Bass, Fathead Minnow, Carp, Threadfin Shad

A Division of Cedar Beetle Ranch Development

"Improving Texas One Acre at a Time"

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Over 75 years of experience in the lake construction industry...

Desirable Fish Species

Channel and Blue Catfish. These species do well in most pond environments and can be stocked alone in ponds of any size or as a supplement to bass and forage populations in ponds larger than 1 acre. Channel catfish (below) are more available for stocking, and can grow quickly to harvestable size when fed commercial feed. Pond owners desiring excessively large catfish can stock blue catfish.

However, expect them to become the dominant predator in the pond, not in numbers, but in size. Large blue catfish primarily consume fish and will compete with other sportfish for prey. In ponds primarily managed for bass fishing, channel catfish are the preferred species.

Joe Tomelleri

Joe Tomelleri

Largemouth Bass. This species is the most sought-after sport fish in Texas and, in almost all multi-species pond environments, is the primary predator. The northern largemouth bass subspecies is native to Texas and has been widely stocked since the turn of the century. Although the Florida subspecies grows to a larger size, it is more sensitive to very cold temperatures and more difficult to catch than the native (northern subspecies) bass. Because of its sensitivity to cold, Florida largemouth should

not be stocked in ponds in the Texas Panhandle. The native bass and Florida bass are often crossed to produce an intergrade offspring, commonly referred to as the F1 “hybrid.” The F1 may provide some of the advantages of both species. Florida largemouth bass will interbreed with natives, so if both subspecies are stocked in the same body of water, a mixture of Floridas, natives, hybrids, and back-crosses of various mixes will eventually occur.

Joe Tomelleri

Bluegill. Many pond owners are reluctant to stock ponds with bluegill because of the fish’s reputation for overpopulation. The bluegill is, however, a fine sport fish and the only fish species which can produce the large numbers of small fish needed to provide food for bass. Without them, a quality bass population will probably not develop. Overpopulation of bluegill most commonly occurs because of excessive escape cover (aquatic vegetation) or over-harvesting of the bass in the first season of fishing—both of which reduce predation on the young bluegill (See Proper Harvest Section). The coppernose bluegill is a unique strain that, in Texas ponds, can reach larger sizes than do other varieties. If you have a strong interest in bluegill fishing, consider stocking this species.

Joe Tomelleri

Redear Sunfish. Redear sunfish can be stocked with bluegill in Texas ponds as supplemental forage. This species is also a fine sport fish and can increase angling opportunities. Because they eat snails they may also reduce fish parasites within a pond.

Joe Tomelleri

Hybrid Striped Bass. Hybrid striped bass are another sport fish that can be stocked in any size pond to provide additional sport fishing. They will readily accept artificial feeds, but will not reproduce in ponds. Hybrids can be stocked alone, with fathead minnows or sunfish, or in bass-bluegill ponds. Consult a biologist if you plan to stock these fish.

Joe Tomelleri

Fathead Minnow. The fathead minnow is a relatively slow swimmer (very vulnerable to predation), and therefore offers no long-term benefit when stocked in ponds containing established bass populations. However, they are very useful when stocked with catfish that are not being fed regularly

or in new bass-bluegill ponds to increase first-year growth of the bass and bluegill.

Joe Tomelleri

Grass Carp (White Amur). This species, when stocked in proper numbers, can provide longterm, cost-effective control of submerged aquatic vegetation in ponds; however, only specially produced sterile (triploid) grass carp are legal in Texas ponds, and a permit is required. Contact the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for details.

Joe Tomelleri

Threadfin Shad. This species is an excellent supplemental forage species for bass; however, like the fathead minnow, generally cannot withstand bass predation for an extended period of time in a small pond. They are also sensitive to cold temperatures and perform best in South Texas, but can survive mild winters in North, East, and Central Texas. A fertilization program will greatly increase the success of threadfin shad introductions by reducing water clarity and increasing productivity.

Joe Tomelleri

A properly built and managed pond can yield from 100 to 300 pounds of fish annually for each acre of water surface. A good fishing lake or pond can also provide recreation and can be substantially increase property value. Successful multi-species management in large ponds requires stocking combinations of species to achieve a balance between predators (largemouth bass) and their principal forage species (bluegill). A balanced pond will have:

Annual reproduction by largemouth bass and bluegills.

Bluegills of many different sizes to provide food for all sizes of largemouth bass.

Sufficient growth of both species for satisfactory sustained catches by the angler.

Maintaining balanced bass and forage populations is important for good fishing.

Proper harvest of intermediate-sized bass and proper stocking schedules are critical for maintaining this balance.

Proper bass harvest

The stocking schedule depends mainly upon the size of the bass stocked. When you plan to

stock fingerling (1- to 3-inch) bass, stock fingerling (1- to 3-inch) bluegills and redear sunfish, forage minnows, and catfish larger than 4 inches in the late fall, followed by the bass fingerlings the next spring.

The most sensible way to prevent bass overharvest is to establish a minimum length limit of 15 inches for the first 3 years after stocking. If anglers abide by the restriction and release all bass smaller than 15 inches, the pond should begin producing good fish of all species. The bass that were originally stocked will have to support the majority of the catch for 3 years, so they have to be used wisely. After 3 years, you need to make a decision about the kind of bass-fishing you want to promote for your pond. Bass will have reproduced two or three times during this 3-year period, and the pond may have large numbers of young bass. If the young bass are under-harvested, they will have to compete for the available food and their growth rates will be poor. The result will be a bass population consisting mainly of fish less than 12 inches long. All these small bass will reduce the numbers of small bluegill, and the pond will have a surplus of 7- to 8-inch bluegills.

Age I - 8 inches

Age II - 12 inches

Age III - 15 inches

Age IV - 17 inches

Age V - 18 inches

Average growth rates for bass in Texas are:

Fish Stocking Services

Our primary species recommendations for stocking in Texas:

Proper Harvest Bass

Improper harvest of largemouth bass ruins future fishing in Texas ponds more often than any other cause. Pond owners and other anglers often overharvest bass in the first season of fishing, allowing bluegills to overpopulate. No bass should be removed for the first 2 years after stocking. You can reduce the chances of overharvesting the bass by making your pond off-limits to everyone. But this is not recommended, because underfishing can lead to about as many problems as over-fishing. In established bass populations, it is a good idea to remove surplus bass less than 12 inches long. Although you control access to your pond, don’t deny entrance to a responsible angler willing to follow a few simple rules regarding catch-and-release of certain sizes of fish. Encourage all anglers to record their catch by species and size (see the Appendix for more information on using these records). This record-keeping system provides you with an estimate of the size composition and relative abundance of game species over time. The growth rate for largemouth bass is affected by several factors, including genetics, water quality, habitat, and forage availability.

Proper fish stocking (in addition to design, aeration, feeding, maintenance and forage) is essential for a productive lake or pond. We have the experience to know exactly which species to stock in the correct ratios and the right sizes at the right time for premium results. A poorly producing pond or lake comes from stocking the wrong type of fish in inadequate densities.

Which Species to Stock

The Correct Ratios

What Size Each Species Should Be

The Right Time for Stocking

The forage species and catfish are large enough when the bass are stocked that the bass will not deplete the original stocking of the forage fish and catfish.

The forage species will have had an opportunity to spawn, creating a food supply for newly stocked bass. If adult (longer than 3 inches) bluegills and redear sunfish are used, you may stock them either simultaneously with the fingerling bass or in the late fall followed by the fingerling bass the next spring. Large bass and bluegill are sometimes used to stock new ponds, but this practice is not recommended because it makes the achieving a proper balance less certain.

This schedule ensures that:

Some information was taken from a publication of U.S Dept of Agriculture Handbook # 590 and from Texas Farm Ponds: Stocking, Assessment, and Management Recommendations by the Texas Chapter of the American Fisheries Society.