Raising catfish in cold climates?

Dexter · #1 03/04/10, 10:21 PM

Does anyone raise catfish where winters include the pond being frozen over for many months at a time?

There are no native catfish around here but I am hoping there is a species available that grows to a decent size AND will readily breed/naturalize in my large/deep pond?

Thanks for any ideas!

ozark mike · #2 03/05/10, 12:28 AM

I live in Arkansas now and do a lot of fishing here and in Mississippi... But the best catfish that I ever got came out of the cold water of the Saint Louis River in northern Minnesota...much firmer and better flavor than in warm water...

big rockpile · #3 03/05/10, 05:16 AM

Catfish should do well.We put Catfish in my Sons Pond.He fed them heavy all Summer soon as it got cold they just quit feeding but will feed once it warms up.

You might look into raising some Trout.

big rockpile

7thswan · #4 03/05/10, 06:45 AM

My neighbor put Channel cats in his pond- he dug it just for cats. A couple times a year we have a company that takes orders for fish, they are delivered to many places, where people wait in lines to pick up their order. Cat fish food is also sold at our feed stores. I agree with BR, Trout would really like your your cold water. www.stoneycreek.com

paintlady · #5 03/05/10, 07:44 AM

If the pond freezes over the fish will suffocate. You would need to keep the water circulating to keep it aerated.

fishhead · #6 03/05/10, 08:33 AM

Catfish can be raised in ponds that freeze over as long as you keep oxygen levels high enough under the ice. I read about a catfish farmer in WI that did well. It took 3 years to produce market sized fish.

That said if there are no catfish in your province I would suggest you find a fish that is native to BC and not import an exotic species.

What are your water temps in the summer? My commercial ponds would reach 85 F here in northcentral MN but they were only 4' deep and very fertile. Catfish ponds in the south will hit 95 F for long periods but that isn't necessary for good production.

fatrat · #7 03/05/10, 08:42 AM

Channel catfish are native all through the Great Lakes region and do very well in cold environments. They are the most common catfish raised in commercial farming.

tinknal · #8 03/05/10, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paintlady

If the pond freezes over the fish will suffocate. You would need to keep the water circulating to keep it aerated.

HUH?????"?

Are you really from Minnesota?

Paquebot · #9 03/05/10, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paintlady

If the pond freezes over the fish will suffocate. You would need to keep the water circulating to keep it aerated.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tinknal

HUH?????"?

Are you really from Minnesota?

That is true. If there is no water flow or open water, combined with deep snow and ice cover, the fish will die from lack of oxygen. Especially true in small ponds where rotting vegetation consumes all of it. There are certain stocked lakes in my area which have aerators to prevent winterkill. Most now are solar-powered.

Martin

fishhead · #10 03/05/10, 11:14 AM

Fish suffocate under the ice or even on hot still overcast summer days if the dissolved oxygen in the water runs out. That oxygen normally comes from photosythesis but can come from wind too.

As long as sunlight can penetrate the ice and snow oxygen is produced without aeration or exposure to the atmosphere. I accidently overwintered some large walleye and smallmouth bass broodfish in a pond without aeration in a foot of liquid water under 3' of very clear ice. We had no snow that winter and it was the beginning of the drought so I got caught by surprise and didn't pump the pond up often enough.

MN sucker (bait minnows) raisers plow strips of snow off the ice to allow sunlight to penetrate the ice and produce oxygen.

TedH71 · #11 03/05/10, 12:38 PM

Only downside I can see is that the fish will grow slower in colder climates.

**highlands** · #12 03/05/10, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paintlady

If the pond freezes over the fish will suffocate. You would need to keep the water circulating to keep it aerated.

They do need O2 but during the winter their needs are greatly reduced. Our ponds have no open areas, freezing over completely. The water springs higher on the mountain continue to supply them which brings in O2 and stirs the water all winter long.

On a related issue, many made ponds are shallow and in our climate can freeze to the bottom creating a bit of an issue for the fish.

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
Pastured Pigs, Sheep & Kids
in the mountains of Vermont
Read about our on-farm butcher shop project:
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/butchershop
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/csa

tinknal · #13 03/05/10, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paquebot

That is true. If there is no water flow or open water, combined with deep snow and ice cover, the fish will die from lack of oxygen. Especially true in small ponds where rotting vegetation consumes all of it. There are certain stocked lakes in my area which have aerators to prevent winterkill. Most now are solar-powered.

Martin

There are way too many variables to make a blanket statement like that. Minnesota and Wisconsin have many lakes with no live flow and plenty of fish. Water depth, vegitation, fish population, snow cover, etc can all have an affect on oxygen levels.

Paquebot · #14 03/05/10, 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tinknal

There are way too many variables to make a blanket statement like that. Minnesota and Wisconsin have many lakes with no live flow and plenty of fish. Water depth, vegitation, fish population, snow cover, etc can all have an affect on oxygen levels.

Yes, I should have wrote "may" instead of "will". MN may have a lot of lakes but few do not have water flowing in from somewhere or another as well as an outlet. Anything not having that would depend strictly on rainfall and there are few like that in either of our states. The degree of winterkill all depends upon various combinations. Combine the 4 factors that I mentioned and it's a recipe for winterkill; no flow, no open, thick ice, and heavy snow. It just takes one spring feeding into a lake to change the oxygen content of the water. May not be obvious when looking at a lake but there may be 3' of ice over 99% of a lake surface but a 3" area right above an active spring. That's just as effective as thousands of dollars of shore air compressors or solar-powered aerators.

Oh, my favorite MN lakes were any in or near Freeborn County. I fished almost all of them in the early 1950s when my father lived in Albert Lea. Went back to visit a cousin in 1960 and bought a 3-day license just to fish bullheads near Waseca. Had a choice of two lakes that cousin suggested. With one, we'd be pulling out fish as fast as we could take them off the hook but barely big enough to eat. The other might not have a bite for 15 minutes but they'd be 15-20 inches. As I recall, I ended up with 23 fish and my cousin about the same for almost 6 hours of fishing. I think that you can figure out which lake we went to.

Martin

||Downhome|| · #15 03/05/10, 11:38 PM

Minnesota is the main supplier of leeches for the bait industry, leechs are most prevelent in winter kill lakes and ponds, do not confuse leechs with blood suckers.

My point is there are many places that you will find lakes and ponds that are prone to winter kill,
though it does not mean the whole population could/would be lost just the excess, and yes there are many variables biggest though would be population and the physical size of individuals with the larger being more prone to dieing.wich would be a decideing fator in a aquaculture endevor.

many ponds and lakes are spring fed wich can also replace oxygen, as well as affect water temp.

as to the OP why not trout? your location would suggest them as a better choice. but channel cats whould be the one you should consider if your stuck on the catfish.

tinknal · #16 03/05/10, 11:45 PM

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you Martin. The OP just said "large deep pond". Could be spring fed, have an inlet, etc. Southern MN lakes tend to be shallow. In my experience most lakes subject to winter kill tend to be shallow and have a lot of carp and bullheads. I don't think bullheads cause winter kill, but they survive better in these kinds of lakes. I suspect that carp can cause winter kill though.

Dexter · #17 03/05/10, 11:59 PM

Trout would be a future project, at this point there is not enough shade or oxygen for them. Trees have been planted.
There is plenty of oxygen actually, spring fed and large surface area, but trout are extra sensitive and require more movement than this pond allows.

While I know catfish will require feeding, it does seem that catfish require less feedings, less store bought feed. I could be wrong with this, but catfish will scavenge where trout are pretty picky.
Another option is carp. While I've not tried eating them and assume them to be nasty (I'm used to trout) they would surely be "ideal" in the sense that I would be able to supply them with all their feed from the farm here.
I am basically looking to have a backup, self sustaining protein source that needs little care, something to be able to fall back on at some point if required.

Paquebot · #18 03/06/10, 12:31 AM

Dexter, before you think of catfish or carp, check with whatever is the equal to our DNR. The entire Mississippi River system and Great Lakes are full of fish that aren't supposed to be there. And when they move in, the native species are kicked out. You are in trout and salmon country and those are fragile species when it comes to propagating. Depending upon where you are in BC, cats and carp would survive but not breed. In fact, you would also not be able to have a sustainable trout population as that entire family are not pond breeders. Even the biggest salmon go to some of the shallowest streams to spawn. You can't duplicate that in any pond. Should be fingerlings available from a hatchery in your province. Find as much information about how to establish a pond first and then start looking for fish. After that, it's just a matter of remembering to feed them as I do my goldfish!

Martin

Paquebot · #19 03/06/10, 12:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tinknal

In my experience most lakes subject to winter kill tend to be shallow and have a lot of carp and bullheads. I don't think bullheads cause winter kill, but they survive better in these kinds of lakes.

Bullhead catfish are able to enter a state somewhere between hibernation and estivation. That means that their metabolism slows down so that they can cope with minimum oxygen. Some species are able to survive curled up in a sealed ball of hard mud with just a tiny breathing hole. In many shallow lakes, they are the only North American fishes which can survive. That's why MN, as well as many other Northern states, have lakes which will only support them as has been done for thousands of years. When the waters can no longer support normal activity, they simply shut down and take a nap until breakup.

Martin

MaineFarmMom · #20 03/06/10, 06:10 AM

I have brown bullhead in my man made pond. The shallow end of the pond is 15' so there's a lot of water. There isn't an inlet or outlet. The pond is rain water and spring fed. There was 18" of ice on the pond two weeks ago. When DH put a bait trap in the pond he caught a few baby bullhead. We also have rainbow trout in the pond.