How to Build a Fish Farm

Fish farming is an attractive niche market for small farms. While large-scale commercial production requires a major investment in infrastructure and operating costs in order to reach profitable volume, small-scale production with direct-to-consumer marketing is within the reach of many small farmers.



Many farms already have small ponds, but the expense involved with correcting the design flaws of most existing ponds generally makes it more economical to start from scratch, incorporating all the necessary features from the beginning.

Things You'll Need

  • Backhoe
  • Grader
  • Gravel, concrete, or asphalt
  • Water source
  • Pump
  • Aerator
  • Storage building
  • Fish feed
  • Fingerlings
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Instructions

    • 1

      Identify the best spot for your fish pond. This should be fairly close to your house for ease of servicing the fish and should ideally have access to electricity. Building the pond on the side of a hill allows both water collection from runoff and gravity-driven drainage for fish harvesting.

    • 2

      Dig the pond with a backhoe. The sides should be steeply sloped, and the bottom relatively level.

    • 3

      Use the removed dirt to construct levees around the three sides of the pond not against the hill. The levees should be at least 16 feet wide and about 18 inches taller then the average pond depth. The levee on the downhill side should have a slightly lower area for overspill when the water gets too high.

    • 4

      Grade a road to the pond for vehicle access. Make it wide enough for large trucks. Spread gravel on the road or pave it.

    • 5

      Fill the pond with water. You can allow it to fill with rainwater, but it is more desirable for preventing weed control to fill it quickly by pumping in water from a spring or well.

    • 6

      Add an aerator to your fish pond. There are many different varieties for different pond sizes and shapes, but fountain-style aerators are adequate for most small ponds. Aerators can be electrically-powered or run from a generator.

    • 7

      Build a storage area for fish feed and stock it. This can be a grain storage bin or an outbuilding containing smaller storage containers. It should be weather-proof and rodent-proof.

    • 8

      Stock your pond with fingerlings (young, small fish). Stocking rates should be based on the desired fish weight at harvest and the acres of water surface area in the pond. 1,000 lbs of fish per acre of pond is a good estimate for a beginning fish farmer.