Pond Management Toolkit

November 2, 2025 Ishani Mishra

A set of resources to help landowners manage their ponds for activities like fishing and wildlife viewing. There are several publications, including ones that focus on topics like stocking fish, vegetation control and a management plan template.

View these publications below:

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Pure Live Seed: Calculations and Considerations for Wildlife Food Plots

Have you heard the adage, "proper planning prevents poor performance?" This adage applies perfectly to establishing food plots for wildlife, but you just have to adjust the words: "Proper planting prevents poor food plot performance." View this resource to learn...

Monitoring Forest Songbirds

This document is a practical and easy guide for monitoring forest songbirds during the breeding season. It explains key habitat types such as riparian areas, uplands, young and mature forests along with providing instructions for conducting surveys using point counts...

Prescribed Fire: An Introduction for Landowners

Learn about why prescribed fire matters, what to know and where to start. A valuable tool for several of Indiana's ecosystems, prescribed fire is the planned application of fire to achieve management goals. Keywords: woodlands, grasslands, wildlife, landscape management, landowners...

Native Grass Plantings: Tips for Evaluating A First Year Native Grass and Forb Planting

One of the most common questions when talking about establishing plantings revolves around evaluating the planting during the first year. Learn about the four things to look for when evaluating a new native grass and wildflower planting, along with the...

Birding 101: Welcome to the Wonderful World of Birds

In recent years, birdwatching and other forms of nature-based recreation have rapidly increased in popularity. Use this Natural Resources 101 source to learn the basics about birds including identification and their impact on wildlife. Keywords: identification, ornithology, animals, recreation, birds...

Diets of Lake Michigan Salmonids

FNR-565-W: The introduction in the 1990s of dressenid mussels and round goby in Lake Michigan continues to affect the diets of some salmonine species. As the lake's ecosystem changes, brown trout, lake trout and steelhead have chosen a more flexible...

More than just a puddle: Understanding the pond ecosystem for better management

FNR-567: Ponds and small lakes are complex ecosystems. This publication discusses the living and non-living components of ponds, as well as interactions between these components. Landowners can use this information to better inform their pond management practices. Keywords: ponds, small...

Stocking Fish in Indiana Ponds

FNR-569-W: Not all fish flourish in Indiana ponds. If you are stocking a pond, it's important to have a plan. This 8-page publication makes recommendations about fish types, numbers, and predator/prey relationships for new and renovated ponds.  Keywords: aquaculture, fishing,...

Salmon and Trout of the Great Lakes: A Visual Identification Guide

FNR-579-W: The Great Lakes are home to eight species of salmon and trout. These species can be difficult to distinguish from each other as they overlap in their distributions and change appearance depending on their habitat and the time of...