One of the first questions pond owners ask is, how fast should fish grow? Several factors affect the rate of growth, including fertility of water, availability of food chain organisms, and density of fish. The table on page 13 lists the length and weight of pond fish under average conditions.
Another often-asked question is, when should my fish spawn? Largemouth bass are sexually mature when about nine to 10 inches long. It usually takes two full years after stocking for fingerlings to attain that size. Usually in May, when the water temperature reaches 60 degrees F, bass will be observed fanning out shallow depressions on the bottom, called nests, in areas from one to several feet deep. The female deposits from 2,000 to 20,000 eggs, which the male guards and cares for during the three to 14 days required to hatch. Sexually mature bass only spawn once in a season and then only as the water warms to about 60 degrees F in the spring.
Some forage fish will be sexually mature the first season after stocking as fingerlings. Within a few days to a couple of weeks after the bass have spawned, and when the water temperature reaches 70 degrees F, bluegill and redear nests will be seen in shallow areas where the water depth ranges from six inches to three feet. From 10,000 to 60,000 eggs are laid in the nest; these hatch in a few days. Although bass spawning occurs within a few days, forage fish may be observed on spawning beds through much of the summer, and individuals may spawn several times in a season.