If building a nursery enclosure within your own body of water, baby fish do best within shallower, calmer water. Excavated nursery ponds are placed in areas that are resistant to flooding and that are able to provide the proper conditions for fish health and equipment accessibility. Steep grades are harder to excavate, and locations where the water table is too low or too high can make installing a well or controlling flooding and erosion difficult.
In order to maintain a healthy environment for your growing fish, the chemical makeup, amount of dissolved oxygen, temperature, and amount of waste within the pond needs to be monitored. This will require space for equipment, access via foot or vehicle, access to energy, power, and clean, high quality water. Colder climates will slow metabolism and may even make eggs dormant if allowed to fall too low. A yearround design will need to consider heaters, mixers, circulators, or other temperature regulators.
