I recently built a good size pond and put stone around the entire perimeter about 5 feet down the banks. The water isn't a constant flow but rarely goes down much in the summer. Any idea if they would survive or reproduce if I caught crawfish from the local streams and stock them in the pond. Just "fishing" for ideas to help feed the future fish.

They will survive but they may not stay. Sometimes they are very depth sensitive and will move if the water is to deep or too shallow. With the rip rap there is a good chance the will establish.

Fathead minnows reproduce fast and are cheap (around here anyhow). They need a flat surface to stick their eggs on so Lilly pads, sunken pallets, or floating waxed cardboard work well and after a year or so you would have enough minnows you could about walk across the pond on them. Just an idea for starting a forage base. I know little about crawfish other than the ones we catch here are mostly invasive rustys but taste good anyhow.

You have to have habitat for them to drill. Usually 1 or 2 feet from waters edge. In my pond here the levee surrounding the pond creates that space they can crawl out and drill. Drilling is the process of reproducing

Never heard it called that before

Most species of crayfish have very specific habitat needs. Some few species of crayfish, like the Rusty Crayfish, that are native here in Ohio, are generalists and can live most anywhere. The Rusty Crayfish are invading most of the US and even other countries now. They are fairly large, can eat almost anything and can tolerate most aquatic habitats.

If you catch a few crayfish from the local streams, you may be able to determine the species and find their habitat needs. Most universities can help you identify crayfish species too. Some crayfish need very high amounts of dissolved oxygen, only found in cold, fast moving streams. Other species prefer warm, stagnant water. Some species need soft mud bottoms and mud they can tunnel into. Some species need hard rock bottoms.

Keith