How To Tell If My Local Pond Is Safe To Eat Fish From?

[jparisi48]

I fish a local private pond that is loaded with huge bluegill. I would love to know how to tell if it is safe to eat fish from? It is not near any factories or anything like that. I cant see any signs that people dump anything there. But the water is naturally dirty mucky swampish. It is 40 acres. Max 20ft deep and has low water clarity. Weeds/lilys everywhere with a small creek flowing in and out. Fish look pretty healthy aside from a few here and there that looked like they got attacked. It holds perch, bullhead, pickerel, bass, and bluegill. Let me know If you think I will be safe or I will get sick. Only one way to find out for sure but I would like to get a general idea first.

 

Thank you

[loudcherokee]

find out what is in the watershed area and upstream of the creek that feeds the pond. That's the only way I know of. Or ask the pond owner.

if you're that uncertain, just don't eat any of the bottom feeders and I'd imagine you will be OK.

LC

[RAMBLER]

Feed some to your in-laws.    

[slonezp]

If it's in a subdivision I would say no because of fertilizer runoff. If not, What's the worse that could happen?  

[lmbfisherman]

If it's in a subdivision I would say no because of fertilizer runoff. If not, What's the worse that could happen?  

Grow an extra appendage from your chest.  On further thought, that would be great another arm to hold more rods.  Eat on! 

 

I'd ask the owner and definitely see if you can see where the water is coming in from. 

[CountBassula]

Parasites are not really an issue if you prep the fish right. Heavy metal and other chemical content would be a risk. I'm not sure how and how much $$$ for having a sample of water tested...

[CountBassula]

One other thing to put things in perspective... I've eaten snakehead and bass caught from S.FL. canals that run near highways, houses, and God knows what else. Water was dirty as dirt, and I'm still fine :-) I think it would be relatively safe to eat ONE and wait a few weeks...

[BP10]

One other thing to put things in perspective... I've eaten snakehead and bass caught from S.FL. canals that run near highways, houses, and God knows what else. Water was dirty as dirt, and I'm still fine :-) I think it would be relatively safe to eat ONE and wait a few weeks...

i hear its safe to eat a few bass a month from our canals  mvorbrodt  snakeheads i heard dont carry the mercury levels that the bass do  but if you do eat bass eat the smaller ones as they will have less mercury then bigger bass 

[jparisi48]

Thanks for all the replies, I am going to eat a couple of bluegill filets and wait a while and see how things go. I doubt there is much of any human pollution if any. If I make a habit of catching and eating them I will get it tested. I also read that it is a small fish and usually feeds on insects and what not that don't contain as much mercury. The smaller the better

[tomustang]

If there's pollutants it's just more seasoning

[Snakehead Whisperer]

If you have a healthy liver and kidneys it's probably not going to hurt you. I wouldn't eat more than 2 or 3 servings a month however, just in case. A serving is about the size of a deck of cards.

[Crestliner2008]

Why not just contact your DNR (Dept. of Natural Resources) and ask them? They are the regulating entity for your state's wildlife. They surely would know which waters it is safe to eat fish from.

[BadContrakt]

Yes. DNR will be your go-to phone call for questions concerning fish rules/regulations, water quality/condition, all the good stuff that most of us wish didn't exist.

[Hyrule Bass]

maybe you can get a local college to test the water for you if you take them a sample...

[SPEEDBEAD.]

I'd have to say that if you are questioning the water quality, you are probably right to be concerned about eating fish from it.

 

You know they sell fish at the store, right?   Just playin'

[retiredbosn]

Your local health dept should be able to test the water, many have a Kit. Your local USDA office can test both the fish and water, but I would call the local DNR first to see if it has already been tested.

Also if this pond is part of the storm water drainage, then the local municipality may be testing it

[pbizzle]

TWRA post signs down here if the water is to polluted to eat from. A lot say not to eat more than a pound of fish a month, but some like Chattanooga creek reel you to not make any contact with the water.

[pbizzle]

If the water is clean they don't post anything.

[John2222]

I’m pretty sure you’re not allowed to fish there because 1.the owner doesn’t like the pollution of hooks,weight sinkers,lures in and around the pond 2.If the water is green or blue or colored in any way with or without a bleach smell then that means it’s chemically treated and I do not know the risks of eating the chemicals in the fish but I advise you to just fish elsewhere ?

[roadwarrior]

Introduce yourself before bring up a six year post.

 

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/forum/31-introductions/

 

-Kent  a.k.a. roadwarrior

Global Moderator

[HeyCoach]

I’m not far from where the Mon Santo plant was in Alabama. 

 

I don’t eat the fish. 

[the reel ess]

nm. I fell for the resurrected post.

[Eric86]

I know this is an old post that has been resurrected but check out this link.

https://watersgeo.epa.gov/mywaterway/

 

It allows you to see a lot of samples waters and see what reason it is/was impaired.  Hope this may help future people down the road.

[MN Fisher]

2 minutes ago, Eric86 said:

I know this is an old post that has been resurrected but check out this link.

https://watersgeo.epa.gov/mywaterway/

 

It allows you to see a lot of samples waters and see what reason it is/was impaired.  Hope this may help future people down the road.

It'd be great...if they had any where near current information. Waters near my location, the most recent data on that site is from 2010.

[schplurg]

Be glad you aren't in California - even the coffee causes cancer for us if you listen to the idiots. Even our baits come with a Proposition 65 warning, as if humans are going to eat a crank bait. Everything is hazardous here if you believe the nuts and Cali is full of nuts!