I am going to make the assumption that you will want some fish (ornamental or game type) to put in your new pond. I worked for USDA for 34 years,,, surveying, designing, drafting the construction plans, staking for the contractor, inspecting the construction, and finally doing a final survey to certify quantities for payment for farm ponds in 1-5 counties here. Kept this old guy busy during the spring, summer and fall construction months. I also was involved in connecting folks with reputable fish suppliers and writing beginning management plans (pretty simple). Consider holding off any stocking of desirable fish species for 1 year from the end of construction activities so your pond has a time to stabilize water levels and more important O2 and pH levels so any stocking has a chance to succeed. If your goal is game fish and you just can't wait, get some native minnows from the local watershed you are in (assume no invasive ones exit) and stock them as your bait fish for the later game fish stocking. Seen too many people get disappointed, happily waving Good Bye to the contractor one day and Hello to the commercial fish supplier the next only to experience a kill with a lot of white bellies the next day, week or month. Wasted $ and time and sometimes an argument about fish quality erupts when it is really a new pond stabilizing issue. Creek chubs, shiners, fatheads etc. are relatively inexpensive from a bait dealer or seined from the creek and will clue you as to the pond's condition for beginning fish life in you "New Pond"................................... my take................... the mike

Pretty cool Bruce! How big is your Elk pen going to be and how many elk do you want to have?

I am going to make the assumption that you will want some fish (ornamental or game type) to put in your new pond. I worked for USDA for 34 years,,, surveying, designing, drafting the construction plans, staking for the contractor, inspecting the construction, and finally doing a final survey to certify quantities for payment for farm ponds in 1-5 counties here. Kept this old guy busy during the spring, summer and fall construction months. I also was involved in connecting folks with reputable fish suppliers and writing beginning management plans (pretty simple). Consider holding off any stocking of desirable fish species for 1 year from the end of construction activities so your pond has a time to stabilize water levels and more important O2 and pH levels so any stocking has a chance to succeed. If your goal is game fish and you just can't wait, get some native minnows from the local watershed you are in (assume no invasive ones exit) and stock them as your bait fish for the later game fish stocking. Seen too many people get disappointed, happily waving Good Bye to the contractor one day and Hello to the commercial fish supplier the next only to experience a kill with a lot of white bellies the next day, week or month. Wasted $ and time and sometimes an argument about fish quality erupts when it is really a new pond stabilizing issue. Creek chubs, shiners, fatheads etc. are relatively inexpensive from a bait dealer or seined from the creek and will clue you as to the pond's condition for beginning fish life in you "New Pond"................................... my take................... the mike

No offence but that is a hole. A pond would not have side slopes over 3 to 1. If it is for wildlife to drink out of it should have an entrance area slope of 10 to 1.