Instructions
Purchase a fish-stocking license from your state Department of Fish and Wildlife. Also request information on transportation licensing, as some states require that you also have a license to transport the fish. The price of these licenses will vary from state to state.
Examine the local ponds to see what types of fish get stocked there. Your pond should support the same types of fish that the Department of Fish and Wildlife stocks in the public ponds.
Purchase the fish you want for your pond from commercial fish hatcheries. The government will not stock private ponds with its farm-raised fish.
Transport the fish. You can hire a company to bring the fish to you or place the fish in your own vehicle in buckets filled with water.
Place the fish in your private pond and the fish will mingle with the plants, fish and other animals in your pond.
How to Get My Private Pond Stocked
If you own a private pond and you would like to stock it with a variety of fish so you can catch them or raise them, you need to ensure that the fish will not have an adverse reaction with the preexisting wildlife, such as the native fish, amphibians and plants. A responsible pond owner will stock the pond with fish that are native to the region and that are hardy enough to survive the climate.