Pond Renovation

 Introduction   |   What is Rotenone?   |   Preparing the Pond   |   Applying Rotenone   |   Restocking the Pond

The ultimate fate of many farm ponds in Mississippi is an unbalanced fish population that is undesirable to anglers and has little recreational fishing value. Once a fish population reaches such a condition, the best solution is usually to eliminate the resident fish and restock with a desirable combination of fish at recommended rates. Consult a fisheries biologist by calling any MDWFP district office to determine the condition of your pond and the possible need for a complete fish population renovation.

The easiest way to renovate a pond is to drain and completely dry the pond. This also lets you modify the pond or add habitat. If any pools of water remain in the basin, drain or poison them, because small fish can survive in these pools for a very long time and ruin your renovation attempts. Also, many ponds were not constructed with a drain, and all of the water cannot be removed. These ponds will need to be chemically renovated.

Rotenone is a fish toxicant registered by the Environmental Protection Agency for removing unwanted fish.