Winter Pond Care at a Glance
As temperatures drop, your pond needs a little extra attention to make it through winter safely. Whether you’re keeping fish and plants outside or bringing them in, this guide walks you through everything you need to do before the cold sets in.
Quick Look
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50°F Stop feeding your fish. Their bodies can no longer metabolize food in cold water. They’ll live off the extra fat they built up over summer until spring.
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40°F Remove pumps, fountains, and waterfalls. Running water features below 40°F can overcool your pond and damage your equipment.
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Store your pump in a bucket of fresh, clean water indoors. This keeps the o-ring and internal components from drying out and cracking over winter.
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Store all tubing and fountains indoors to protect them from ice damage.
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Move your aerator to a shallower part of the pond and run it 24/7. Aeration keeps oxygen flowing and maintains an open section of the ice so gases can escape. Without it, fish and plants can suffocate under a fully frozen surface.
If your water temperatures stay above 50°, see Fall Maintenance.
Why Aeration Matters in Winter
Aeration is one of the most important things you can do for your pond in winter. As you remove your pumps and other equipment, move your aerator to a shallower part of the pond and run it 24/7. It keeps oxygen flowing through the water and maintains an opening in the ice so gases from organic breakdown can escape. When the surface freezes over completely, those gases get trapped, oxygen levels drop, and fish and plants can suffocate.
How to Care for Pond Fish in Winter
When the water temperature drops, fish become less active because they are cold-blooded. Their bodies and metabolisms slow down, requiring little food and oxygen until the water warms back up in the spring. The bottom of your pond (if it is deep enough, so it doesn't freeze all of the way through) is actually the warmest part. Fish will stay at the bottom, hardly moving, throughout the winter.
Winter Pond Fish Quick Look
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Check your pond depth. Fish can generally overwinter outside in a pond at least 24 inches deep. Larger fish may need 48 to 60 inches, especially in areas with severe winters.
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If your pond isn’t deep enough, move fish to a temporary indoor storage tank with aeration.
How to Care for Pond Plants in Winter
Tropical and floating plants that are native to areas with mild winters won't be able to overwinter in a freezing pond and will need to be moved inside. Hardier plants can be moved to the deepest (and warmest) parts of the pond until spring. How you overwinter your plants depends on where you live and the plant's hardiness.
Winter Pond Plant Quick Look
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Move tropical and floating plants indoors. They won’t survive a freezing pond.
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Move hardier plants to the deepest, warmest part of the pond until spring.
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Disposing of plants? Check first that they aren’t invasive or prohibited in your area.
Winter Pond Care Videos
How to Winterize Your Pond
Ready to start preparing your pond for the winter? Depending on how big and deep your pond is, you may be able to overwinter your plants and fish outside, or you may need to bring them inside. Here are some tips for winterizing your pond.
How to Store Your Pond Equiment for Winter
It is always a good idea to remove your pump and store it in a bucket of fresh, clean water in the wintertime. This will ensure that the o-ring and the pump's components will stay wet and not dry and crack.