How to Use PondStat
Follow the complete PondStat workflow—from creating your pond and recording management activities to entering fish data and interpreting tables and graphs.
Follow the guide from setup to results
The guide follows the same general order you will use inside PondStat. Start by creating a pond, add available management history, record sampling data and then review the resulting tables and graphs.
You do not need to complete every optional field before using PondStat. A pond owner can begin with basic pond information and fish length and weight measurements, then add more detailed management or water-quality information over time.
- Your PondStat account login
- A name for the pond you want to track
- Approximate pond size and maximum depth
- Predator and forage fish species present
- Any available stocking, feeding, fertilization or historical sampling records
- Fish length and weight measurements if you are ready to enter sampling data
Build the foundation for your pond records
PondStat begins with a pond profile. This profile identifies the body of water being managed and provides the background information used throughout your stocking, sampling, table and graph records.
Create your pond
Set up the initial pond profile with its name, location, fish species, dimensions and water-source information.
Open the Ponds page
After creating your account or signing into PondStat, open Ponds from the navigation menu. If no pond has been created, select one of the available Create Pond buttons.
Click or tap a guide screenshot to open the full-size image in a new browser tab.
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Enter the pond’s basic information
Complete the available pond-profile fields. Required and optional fields may include:
- Pond or lake name
- Location
- Predator fish species present
- Forage fish species present
- Surface area or pond size
- Maximum and average depth, when known
- Natural or manmade pond type
- Primary water supply
If you do not know an optional value, leave it blank and return to it later. When the available information is complete, select Submit.
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PondStat can be configured to track multiple ponds separately. Contact [email protected] for current multiple-pond options and pricing before adding another pond.
Update general pond information
Add background details that help establish when pond management and long-term data tracking began.
Review and expand the pond profile
After submitting the initial pond profile, PondStat opens the Update Pond area. The General tab contains the basic pond information and additional historical fields.
Age of Pond Enter the pond’s approximate age if it is known. Leave the field blank if the age cannot be reasonably determined.
Begin Management Date Enter the date active pond management began. This is especially helpful when historical stocking or sampling information will be added.
Previously entered information Review the original profile details and correct information that has changed or was entered incorrectly.
A meaningful starting date helps place historical stocking, feeding, sampling and fish-condition records into the correct timeline.
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Record what happens in and around your pond
Feeding, fertilization and stocking records help place changes in fish condition and pond performance into a meaningful timeline.
Feed and fertilization records
Use the Feed and Fertilization tab to document recurring management activities and changes made to your pond.
Record feeding activity
If fish are being fed, enter the available information for each feeder or manual-feeding routine.
Feeder type Record whether feeding is automatic or manual.
Feed type Enter the feed brand or type being used.
Feed frequency Record how many feeding events occur each day.
Feed rate Enter the approximate pounds used per feeding.
Record fertilization activity
For each pond-fertilization event, enter the date, fertilizer type and applied dose or amount. Additional dates can be added as fertilization continues.
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A dated management history makes it easier to compare feeding or fertilization changes with later water-quality, catch-rate and fish-condition trends. A relationship in a graph does not necessarily prove that one activity caused the change, but it gives owners and professionals useful context for further evaluation.
Enter stocking data
Document initial and supplemental stocking events so fish introductions can be reviewed alongside later sampling results.
Create the stocking event
Open the Stocking Data tab and create an event for the date fish were added. Historical stocking information can be entered using its original date when that information is available.
- Indicate whether the event was an initial or supplemental stocking.
- Enter the stocking date.
- Select the forage or predator species stocked.
- Add the number of fish, total weight or average length available for that event.
- Add individual length, weight or tag information when those measurements were collected.
If stocking information is not available, skip the tab and return when records are located.
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Group stocking information
For forage-fish stockings, available records may include the species, total number, total weight and average length. Enter the information you have for the event.
Individual measurements and tags
Predator-fish stocking records may include individual lengths, weights and tag numbers. For fingerlings, an average length may be entered when individual measurements are not practical.
Manual entry or spreadsheet import
A smaller number of individually measured fish can be entered manually. Larger historical datasets may be entered using PondStat’s Excel-template import workflow.
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Review the date, species and quantities before selecting Save Event. Correct event dates are important when comparing stocking activity with future fish growth and sampling results.
Turn a sampling session into usable data
Create the fishing or sampling event first, then add the fish collected during that event manually or with PondStat’s Excel import template.
Create a fishing or sampling session
Establish the date, species, sampling method, environmental conditions and measurement units associated with the fish collected during the event.
Open Fishing/Sampling Data
Open the applicable pond and select the Fishing/Sampling Data tab. Create a new event for the fishing trip, electrofishing survey, seine sample or other collection activity.
If your account tracks multiple ponds, verify that the correct pond is selected before continuing.
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Enter the basic session information
Enter the information that identifies when, where and how the sample was collected.
- Pond name
- Fishing or sampling date
- Sampling start and stop times
- Fish species collected
- Sampling method
- Number of anglers when using rod and reel
Start and stop times help PondStat calculate or compare catch rates for supported sampling methods.
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Weather conditions
Enter available temperature, sky, wind or other weather information when you want to compare conditions with fishing or sampling success.
Water-quality data
Enter available water-quality measurements collected during the session. Leave these optional fields blank when measurements are unavailable.
Measurement units
Select English units for inches and pounds or metric units for millimeters and grams before adding fish measurements.
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Review the pond, date, method and measurement units, then select Submit. PondStat will save the event and open its update screen.
Add or import fish data
Use manual entry for individual fish or PondStat’s Excel template for larger sampling and historical datasets.
Review the saved session
After the session is submitted, PondStat displays the update area. The General tab shows the information entered on the previous screen.
Open Sampling Detail when you are ready to enter the fish collected during the event.
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Add fish manually
Manual entry works well when entering fish during a trip or when the sample contains a manageable number of records. Select Add Fish and enter:
- Fish species or type
- Total length
- Actual weight
- Tag number, when applicable
- Capture method
- Released or culled status
PondStat automatically calculates applicable Standard Weight and Relative Weight values after the record is saved.
Import an Excel spreadsheet
Use the Excel workflow for larger sampling events or historical datasets already maintained in a spreadsheet.
- Download PondStat’s current Excel template.
- Enter the fish data into the required columns.
- Do not rename or rearrange the headings.
- Save the completed spreadsheet.
- Upload or drag the file into PondStat.
- Review the imported records and select Save.
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Use the current template exactly as provided
Download a fresh copy of the PondStat template before preparing an import. Enter only the requested values and follow the template’s formatting instructions.
Changing headings, adding unsupported columns or using inconsistent measurement units may prevent the file from importing correctly.
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Confirm that the species, lengths, weights, tag numbers and fish statuses appear correctly. After saving, PondStat calculates the applicable metrics and makes the information available in Table View and Graph View.
Use Table View
Review the information entered during a sampling session alongside the calculations PondStat generates from that data.
See raw and calculated data together
After fish records have been entered and saved, open the applicable sampling event and select the Table View tab.
Table View combines the original information entered into PondStat with calculated fisheries metrics and supporting sampling information. This provides a detailed record that can be reviewed online, printed or exported.
Open complete table
Raw fish records
- Fish species
- Length and actual weight
- Tag numbers
- Capture method
- Released or culled status
Calculated results
- Standard Weight
- Relative Weight
- Average Relative Weight
- Length or bin-size groups
- Available catch-rate calculations
Event information
- Fishing or sampling date
- Sampling duration
- Sampling method
- Weather conditions
- Available water-quality information
Check the records before interpreting them
Review the table for incomplete measurements, incorrect units, duplicate records or fish assigned to the wrong species. Calculated values depend on the accuracy of the original information.
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Confirm the session
Verify the pond, sampling date, species and measurement units.
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Review individual fish
Look for missing lengths, weights, tag numbers or incorrect released and culled statuses.
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Examine calculated values
Compare Standard Weight, Relative Weight and available grouped or average results.
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Correct the source record
If something appears incorrect, update the original fish or sampling information rather than altering an exported report.
Downloaded tables and reports can be provided to your pond-management professional. PondStat can also provide authorized professional access when requested. Do not share your personal login credentials.
Generate and Understand Your Graphs
PondStat transforms your sampling records into visual reports that make fish populations, size distribution and relative weight easier to evaluate.
See what your fish data is telling you
After fish have been added to a sampling session, open the graph view to visualize the results. PondStat organizes the information by species and presents the measurements in clear, practical charts.
These graphs can help you recognize patterns that may be difficult to identify in a table, including missing size groups, uneven population structure and changes in fish condition.
Open the graph view
From the sampling detail page, select the graph-view option. PondStat will use the records in the current sampling session to build the available charts.
- Open the pond you want to review.
- Select the appropriate sampling session.
- Confirm that the fish records are complete.
- Open the graph view to generate the results.
What the graphs can help you evaluate
Review the graphs together rather than treating a single chart as the complete picture of your pond.
Length distribution
Shows how sampled fish are distributed across length groups, helping reveal strong, weak or missing size classes.
Relative Weight
Compares a fish’s measured weight with the standard weight expected for a fish of the same species and length.
Population patterns
Makes it easier to compare size groups and identify patterns that may guide future sampling or management decisions.
Filter and review the graphs
Use the available controls to select the species or result you want to examine. The exact charts available will depend on the records entered in the sampling session.
- Select a species to review its results.
- Compare length groups and fish-condition measurements.
- Look for patterns across the entire sample.
- Use multiple sampling sessions to evaluate changes over time.
Notes and historical records
Add observations to individual fishing and sampling events so the measurements, conditions and decisions surrounding those events remain understandable over time.
Add context that numbers cannot capture
Open the applicable fishing or sampling event and select its Notes tab. Use this area to document observations that provide context for the session but do not belong in another PondStat field.
A useful note should be specific enough that you or your pond management professional can understand it months or years later.
Fish observations
- Visible fish condition or behavior
- Unusual coloration, injury or disease concerns
- Spawning activity
- Forage-fish activity
Sampling observations
- Baits, lures or collection equipment used
- Locations or pond areas sampled
- Changes in fishing success
- Equipment or sampling limitations
Pond observations
- Water level or clarity changes
- Vegetation or algae conditions
- Weather-related events
- Aeration, feeder or equipment concerns
Management follow-up
- Questions for a fisheries professional
- Planned stocking or harvest actions
- Feeding or fertilization adjustments
- Items to review during the next visit
Add historical information using its original date
Historical stocking and sampling records can help establish a baseline for a pond that was managed before its PondStat account was created.
When adding a historical event, use the event’s original date—not the date it is entered into PondStat. This keeps reports and graphs in the correct chronological order.
Do not present estimated measurements as precise records. State in the Notes tab when a value is approximate or based on incomplete historical information.
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Collect the available records
Use field sheets, spreadsheets, invoices, reports or other reliable pond-management documents.
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Choose the correct event type
Enter the information as a stocking, fishing, sampling, feeding or fertilization event.
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Use the original event date
Assign the date on which the management or sampling activity actually occurred.
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Document uncertainty
Use notes to identify estimated values, incomplete records or information received from another source.
Keep your pond history useful
Consistent entries are easier to compare and more useful when reviewing changes with a pond-management professional.
Record the actual event date whenever it is known.
Confirm English or metric units for every sampling event.
Note stocking, feeding, vegetation, harvest and equipment changes.
Correct errors while the event is still recent.
Save available Excel or PDF records for offline reference.
Do not share passwords. Use authorized professional access when available.
Find help when you need it
Use PondStat’s support and educational resources when you need instructions, a quick answer, technical assistance or a deeper explanation of the fisheries calculations.
Return to this guide
Use the chapter navigation to return to pond setup, management history, sampling, data entry, tables, graphs or notes.
View All ChaptersBrowse the FAQs
Find answers about accounts, memberships, multiple ponds, sampling data, calculations, privacy and technical support.
Visit the FAQsReview inputs and reports
See the pond, management, water-quality, stocking and sampling information PondStat can record and the outputs it produces.
Explore Inputs & ReportsUnderstand the fisheries math
Learn about Standard Weight, Relative Weight, length groups, supported species and the scientific references behind PondStat’s calculations.
Explore Fisheries MathStill need assistance?
Contact the PondStat team for help with account access, memberships, pond setup, data entry, spreadsheet imports or technical problems.
Email PondStat [email protected]- The email address associated with your account
- The pond, page, tab or feature involved
- What you were attempting to do
- What occurred instead
- The exact wording of any error message
- A screenshot when it helps demonstrate the problem
Never email your PondStat password or complete payment-card number. PondStat support does not need either item to investigate a normal account or technical-support request.
Your pond is telling a story. Start tracking it.
Turn every catch into useful fishery information. PondStat handles the calculations and organizes the results so you can follow your pond’s progress with greater clarity and confidence.
One Pond
per year for one pond