The actual design of the fishing lake is more complex than you might think. It’s a common misconception that you can just dig into the ground and expect the resulting depression to fill with water and hold it perfectly. In reality, fishing lakes are created on paper first and then meticulously constructed with materials designed to keep the water right where it’s needed. When it can require an investment of $25,000 or more to fully stock a largescale, commercial, fishing lake for the first time, you can’t risk making mistakes with the design that result in lost or slow growing fish stocks. Design a fishing lake that looks natural and provides a thriving habitat with these key features.
Spillways and Drains
Spillways and drains are the most important feature of any body of water that’s more than a few hundred gallons in volume. Large scale fishing lakes, and similar features, need spillways that safely direct the water that is released by the dam or embankments in case of flooding. This is a job for an engineer because it can be hard to predict where a pond or lake will overflow, especially for excavated ponds with no single dam point. Drains are manually engaged to lower the water level and can prevent a much more damaging spill or just give you a chance to easily capture the fish and dredge the sludge.
Shelves and Other Shallow Areas
After determining where excess water will escape and collect, it’s time to consider the general layout of the bottom of the lake. It’s not natural for a body of water to slope steeply at the sides all the way to its total depth. Inside, lakes tend to form with small shelves of shallow water around the edges and a gradual slope to the deepest section in the center. This kind of layout not only fosters good fish development across various life stages, but it also reduces the need to excavate 100% of the surface area to the total depth. Having areas with less depth reduces the total volume and can help save money on materials like flexible liners.
Underwater Structures
Aside from shelves and deeper zones, you’ll also want to add a variety of underwater structures appropriate to the fish species you stock. These structures mimic the debris and underwear shelters that naturally form in lakes as they age. While your fishing lake would eventually accumulate some fallen logs and other structures of its own, adding them from the beginning increases fishing opportunities immediately. This varies, but some creative ideas include:
- Corrugated plastic tubing or plastic barrels cut into sections
- Large pieces of non-reactive plastic bent into V-shapes and placed upside down like a tent
- PVC pipes or plastic poles attached to a weighted base that hold smaller pipes that will host algae and plant growth
- Stacked logs that create multiple layers of shelter and shade for fish to hide under
- Tumbled areas of large and irregular rocks, which are necessary for breeding and spawning grounds for many fish species
- Entire stumps removed from cleared land.
While many natural lakes are unfortunately filled with old tires, entire vehicles, and other pieces of abandoned trash, these structures aren’t a good idea for healthy environments. Stick to non-reactive materials like plastic and aluminum so the structures last and don’t negatively impact the water quality. Make sure to keep records of the location of every large and fixed structure and the general layout of shelves. This makes it easier to target the right spots, where the biggest fish will congregate, and can let you know if anything is missing or out of place during maintenance.
Bank Protection for Regular Access
Unlike lakes that are primarily admired from a distance, fishing lakes generally get a lot of foot and even vehicle traffic right up to their banks. Not planning for all that access and extra wear and tear can quickly lead to a mess or a dangerous bank collapse. Unless the lake is only accessible by a dock or other structure, consider armoring the banks in some way. This can be accomplished affordably with rocks, but the large rocks needed for erosion protection won’t be easy to walk on. Consider paving at least some of the banks or covering a section with regularly refreshed gravel to create areas for easy access on foot. Use more affordable armoring methods like vegetation around the rest of the lake and post signs requesting guests or visitors only fish from the protected spots. Of course, you’ll need to make sure these protected areas actually align with the best spots for fishing in the lake.
Docks for Fishing and Fun
Most fishing lakes are best enjoyed with at least one dock added. This keeps you and your guests off of the banks so they can be protected with rip rap or grass instead. Docks also give you better access to the deeper areas in the center of a large lake where the biggest fish tend to gather. If you have many interesting structures and underwater features built in to make the fishing experience more fun, try to place your dock to access as many of them as possible. Both fixed and floating docks tend to work well in manmade fishing ponds due to their relatively shallow depth, but you’ll likely find a floating unit is far more affordable.
Planting the Banks
Regardless of how much you plan to access the lake, you’ll need vegetation to cover any parts of the banks that are armored with rock or concrete. Even concrete and rock covered edges need grass and vegetation to keep runoff over the surface from causing erosion and weakening the edges of the banks. Yet at the same time, it’s not recommended you let trees grow too closely to the edges of the water, especially along the dam. The roots of even smaller trees can break into the compacted soil and loosen it, eventually poking holes in the most durable liner materials and even knocking the dam out entirely. Keep trees a minimum of 10 to 20 feet away from the lake’s edges and stick with shade cloth if you need to break up any direct sun.
Does Your Fishing Lake Need a Dam?
Most lakes will have a dam since it’s difficult to find the perfect depression that will hold enough water for 12 feet of depth or more with excavation alone. Building a dam also creates a known stress point for flood control planning. It also adds a lot more work and risk to the water feature, requiring the help of an engineer even for relatively small earthen dams. Don’t risk a collapse and the release of thousands to millions of gallons of water when a quick consultation by a professional can ensure that a dam is being designed and built correctly.
Study the many fishing lake designs available online to see a mix of the various features listed above in action. Not every pond will feature all of the above, but the best ones will include as much as possible for a habitat that truly fits the needs of the fish. Make sure to include a durable flexible liner to protect the banks from erosion and foot traffic. Our ArmorPro line here at BTL Liners is the perfect choice.
