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Pond species directory

23 pond stocking species.

Game fish, forage fish, ornamental koi + goldfish, vegetation-control species, and native predators for US pond + lake stocking. Click any species for stocking rates, compatible companions, ship-to-state legality, and live vendor listings.

Coppernose Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus purpurescens
Coppernose bluegill are a Florida-native subspecies adapted to warmer southern climates - the workhorse forage…
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Redear Sunfish (Shellcracker) Lepomis microlophus
Redear sunfish - "shellcracker" to most pond stockers - are the bottom-feeding cousin of bluegill. They eat sn…
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Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides / floridanus
The default apex predator for US pond stocking. Three lineages run the market: Northern largemouth (the origin…
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Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus
Native to most of the US east of the Rockies. Hardy, fast-growing on pellet, and the standard "I want to catch…
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Blue Catfish Ictalurus furcatus
The biggest catfish in North America - fish over 100 lbs are documented in southern reservoirs. Blue catfish a…
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Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus
Crappie are tricky in small ponds - they're schooling fish that need depth and structure (8+ feet of water + b…
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Hybrid Magnolia Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus × annularis
A black × white crappie hybrid bred specifically for pond stocking. Most are functionally sterile, which sides…
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Fathead Minnow (Tuffies) Pimephales promelas
Fathead minnows ("tuffies" to bait shops) are the springtime jumpstart for any new bass pond. Stocked with blu…
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Golden Shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas
Native to eastern North America. The default bass forage where bluegill alone aren't enough - shiners reproduc…
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Threadfin Shad Dorosoma petenense
Schooling open-water baitfish native to the southeastern US. Threadfin shad fill an ecological niche bluegill …
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Gizzard Shad Dorosoma cepedianum
Cold-tolerant cousin of threadfin shad - viable in northern ponds where threadfins won't survive winter. Grows…
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Tilapia (Blue / Mozambique / Nile) Oreochromis aureus / mossambicus / niloticus
Tilapia eat plankton, filamentous algae, and soft aquatic vegetation - which makes them a biological vegetatio…
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Hybrid Striped Bass Morone chrysops × saxatilis
Hybrid striped bass (palmetto / sunshine bass) cross striped bass × white bass for a sterile, fast-growing spo…
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Koi Cyprinus rubrofuscus
Koi are domesticated common carp bred over 200 years for color + pattern. Categories: Kohaku (red on white), S…
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Pond Goldfish Carassius auratus
Hardy ornamental cousin of koi. Comet goldfish (single-tail orange/red, fastest growth), Sarasa comet (red + w…
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Grass Carp / White Amur Ctenopharyngodon idella
East Asian native introduced to the US specifically for aquatic vegetation control. Grass carp eat hydrilla, m…
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Florida Flagfish Jordanella floridae
Native Florida killifish. One of the few small fish that genuinely eats hair algae and black-beard algae. Usef…
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Plecostomus (sailfin / common pleco) Pterygoplichthys spp. / Hypostomus plecostomus
Common pleco + sailfin pleco are stocked in southern + Florida ponds for algae control. They reach 18-24" in p…
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Spotted Gar Lepisosteus oculatus
Native US gar - prehistoric ambush predator with armored scales. Spotted gar reach 36" in good ponds, while sh…
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Bowfin (Choupique) Amia calva
Living fossil native to the eastern US. Bowfin look prehistoric (because they basically are - 150 million year…
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Rainbow Trout (Triploid) Oncorhynchus mykiss
Coldwater stocking for ponds + lakes that hold under 70°F summer water (high elevation, spring-fed, deep wells…
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Yellow Perch Perca flavescens
Cool-water sport fish for northern + midwestern ponds. Yellow perch are excellent table fish with white flaky …
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Walleye Sander vitreus
Walleye in private ponds is a long-term commitment - 5+ acre lakes with proper depth + cool summer water + a p…
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