Beavers In Ponds

[dhami013]

I have recently made a deal with a man to manage his private lake/pond in exchange to fish his water.

I used to fish it back when I knew someone that lived there. But since that person moved I hadn't been able to fish it. Well the man agreed and so I got out on the water this weekend. Something I noticed since I hadn't been there in almost 2 years is that there are some beavers that have recently inhabited the pong.

I'm wondering is this bad for the fish in any way? If so what measures should I take to get them re located?

[hookingem]

Beaver's are vegetarians, so if you think they are the culprit to a poor fish population that is false. Really besides downing trees they are not that big of a problem. If you insist on having them removed DO NOT take any actions to do so yourself. You could be breaking the law by doing so. Contact VDGIF and ask about beaver relocation.

[Grey Wolf]

Always caught bass around beaver huts.

[Raider Nation Fisher]

The beaver lodges generally hold fish. Plus by telling trees into the pond they add lots off structure for the fish to hang out at.

[Raul]

Bad or good depends a lot on what/where the beavers are doing, beavers are one of the few species that can modify greatly the environment with their actions and it depends what they can affect.

Let´s suppose you have a nice cabin and a stream flows through your property, if the streams flows right at your doorstep and suddenly beavers decide to make that stream their home well, then what´s going to happen is going to be bad for your cabin, they are going to build a dam blocking the stream flow which is going to create a pond and ..... maybe your cabin is going to become part of the cover found in the pond several feet below water level, so that´s bad news for you.

In another aspect, and supposing they are not going to cause any property damage then beavers may not be detrimental but actually a blessing, they are hervibourous, they do not harm the fish not eat them ( like otters ), they create habitat for the fish ( beaver huts ), they fertilize the pond with their droppings, attract other wildlife ( like waterfowl ), they deepen the pond, the only bad news would be for the trees surrounding the pond.

[dhami013]

Aighty I just didn't know if their eating habits would interfere with the nutrients needed by the fish.

[joshholmes]

not at all. they don't feed on aquatic vegetation

[Georgia Jeff]

If the beaver hut is on the dam of the pond they will burrow holes into the dam however. This in turn could weaken the dam and possible cause it to burst. This has happened in one of the ponds that I fish in. It hasn't collapsed yet however.

Here is an exerpt from an article from North Carolina Wildlife.org

Beavers construct two types of houses or lodges apart from the dams. Pond lodges are constructed of sticks and mud and may reach 15-20 feet in diameter and 10 feet high. Bank dens are dug into exposed banks and are sometimes covered partially with sticks and mud. Dens and lodges usually have more than one underwater entrance to the dry protected nest site. The nest site inside the lodge is covered with wood shavings which are less susceptible to dampening than grass or leaf bedding.

Impacts

Opinions vary widely on whether the beavers' activities are beneficial or detrimental, and depend on how the interpreter is affected by their activities.

Negative Impacts

Generally, beavers' negative impacts affect man's land use practices. Their ponds flood timber, agricultural crops, lawns, and roads. Their dams obstruct bridges, culverts, and pond drains, causing erosion damage to these structures. When feeding, beavers girdle and fell trees and shrubs, and damage agricultural crops. Their bank dens and burrows often can weaken dams, dikes, and road beds.

Positive Impacts

When beaver ponds are situated in areas that do not interfere directly with man's land use practices, the impacts of beaver presence can affect man's environment in a positive way. Often beaver ponds are situated in areas that do not interfere directly with man's land use practices. In these cases, the positive impacts of beaver ponds far outweigh the negative impacts by slowing run-off from drainage areas and retarding erosion. They also filter silt, agricultural chemicals and pollutants from streams, and generally improve water quality for fish, wildlife, and man.

Beaver ponds provide quality habitat for other furbearers, waterfowl, fish, non-game wildlife and endangered species. During periods of drought they provide water for wildlife, livestock, and irrigation. Beaver ponds often provide abundant recreational opportunities to sportsmen for hunting, fishing, and trapping. In addition, trapping for beavers and other furbearers and leasing beaver ponds for waterfowl hunting can provide valuable supplemental income to landowners.

Beaver ponds provide ideal habitat for ducks. North Carolina's native wood duck populations increased significantly following increases in beaver populations and wood duck harvest has more than doubled since the beaver population increase. Wood duck nest boxes, combined with natural tree cavities in beaver ponds, make these areas ideal brood habitat for wood ducks. In some instances, landowners have partially drained the ponds during the summer, and planted them in Japanese millet to provide winter feed for waterfowl.

[dhami013]

Thanks for the article I appreciate it. Luckily they aren't inhabiting the dam so I won't have to worry about it being weakened.

[TheLastRodBender]

Beaver dams are AWESOME. There's, imho, no negative to beavers. In addition to what others have said, they will also keep the shoreline groomed, making it easier for you to find a spot to cast from without finding the business end of a tree.

[NH Fisher]

A local pond I enjoy fishing had some beavers showup late in the season last year. I didn't notice much of a change in the fishing but was getting alittle annoyed with the tail slapping on the water. Guess they didn't like me fishing there new home.

[Big Fish Rice]

As long as they're not Woodchucks, there's no danger.

[Glenn]

Great question! Perhaps this will help:

http://www.bassresource.com/fish_biology/Aquatic-Furbearers-Nusiance-or-Necessary

[Sam]

Beaver huts are fantastic fisheries.

LMB love them and I have caught many by tossing a wacky rigged Senko on a weekdless hook into the water by a beaver hut.

The problem is that snakes like to inhabit the tops of the huts that are out of the water.

So if you go by the hut or walk on or around it, be aware of black, water and copperhead snakes.

But for fishing, it will be great!!!!!

[dhami013]

Thank you Sam, and all others for the good information and links. I don't think I'll have to worry too much about them living in the small lake.

[Fishes in trees]

Beavers are good. Otters are bad. Otters can ruin a pond or smaller lake. They don't practice catch and release. It's probably against the law to shoot the otters. Do it anyway, don't tell anyone and don't get caught.

p.s. - pellet guns or air rifles are much quieter than 22's. That's what I'd recommend

[MaineBassMan]

Other than being very destructive to the property they are great for fishing. The waters that I fish here have lots of beaver huts and each hut has a feed pile. These feed piles sometimes get washed down stream or river or further out into the lakes. These are great natural brush piles. I pull lots of bass off from each one of these huts and feed piles.

[RoLo]

Typically, any creature that infringes on man's selfish interests is deemed a "bad" creature.

Beavers are often beneficial to the fishery but sadly, they're also capable of maligning man's environment.

When I lived in Georgia, a friend of ours granted my wife & I permission to fish several ponds on his tract.

Mario complained bitterly about the destruction caused by beavers on his property.

I thought to myself that he was being melodramatic and unsympathetic to the natural rights of beavers.

Just before sunset we ended up fishing the pond behind Mario's house.

I kid you not, the damage caused by beavers was unlike anything I've ever seen.

It's well known that beavers relish aspen, but Mario's beavers felled anything you would dub "timber".

They virtually denuded the shoreline of his home pond, where downed trees pointed in every direction

After all is said and done, I adore beavers.

They're highly industrious creatures, yet always conscious

of your presence. It's kind of flattering when they betray

your presence to all other beavers, by slapping that flat meaty tail

on the water surface.

Roger

[BILLYsobx]

What about grass carp are they good for bass habitat I have seen grassy ponds turn barren

[Joshua Vandamm]

Beaver are ruining my pond! Seriously about to shoot them. The 2 just moved in and slap the water scarring fish anytime I get near the water. 

 

Their dam sucks, the spook fish...not good for ponds at all.

 

lakes/rivers etc. sure. Not ponds.  

 

On 4/6/2011 at 10:44 AM, NH Fisher said:

A local pond I enjoy fishing had some beavers showup late in the season last year. I didn't notice much of a change in the fishing but was getting alittle annoyed with the tail slapping on the water. Guess they didn't like me fishing there new home.

Same here they just showed up. Did they stick around and ruin the spot?

On 4/8/2011 at 3:27 AM, Fishes in trees said:

Beavers are good. Otters are bad. Otters can ruin a pond or smaller lake. They don't practice catch and release. It's probably against the law to shoot the otters. Do it anyway, don't tell anyone and don't get caught.

p.s. - pellet guns or air rifles are much quieter than 22's. That's what I'd recommend

Do otters tail slap also? Maybe these are otters.?

[boostr]

There's a pond I've been going to for the past 3 years and there's a beaver lodge built along one of it's bank. They've been there for years and they haven't devastated this pond or it's surrounding at all. I've seen some of the biggest bass hanging around it. Actually caught one of my PB bass in one if there home made channels that they create to get access or get out of their lodge. Come to think of it 99 percent of the time I always catch a bass off that lodge. They do not take to kindly to you standing on their house though... Don't ask me how I know.

[Bankbeater]

A lake I fish use to have a couple of beavers on it.  They would build the den right on the bank.  They're gone now, but the logs from the den are still there, and the bass still hang around it.

[catchinghogs NH]

hey i was wondering the same question im stocking friends pond they already have small bluegill and they said there is trout but i doubt it and small mini shiner 1-2 inches long i want to put bass in and there is beaver dams years ago a poind near this one broke and apparently it killed all the fish and washed them away? another problem ive heard is that removing beavers is good because they caiuse the bottom layers of mud to make the water muddier i guess and not clear idk if its true but the pond in some parts has nasty red rusty colored water and idk how to fix it i really want to get this pond to the way it used to be which was an old fish and game fishing pond!

[Joshua Vandamm]

42 minutes ago, catchinghogs NH said:

hey i was wondering the same question im stocking friends pond they already have small bluegill and they said there is trout but i doubt it and small mini shiner 1-2 inches long i want to put bass in and there is beaver dams years ago a poind near this one broke and apparently it killed all the fish and washed them away? another problem ive heard is that removing beavers is good because they caiuse the bottom layers of mud to make the water muddier i guess and not clear idk if its true but the pond in some parts has nasty red rusty colored water and idk how to fix it i really want to get this pond to the way it used to be which was an old fish and game fishing pond!

Mostly they provide structure. Your major problems are not the beavers. That sounds like you need inflow and good filtration to get started. 

Also runoff is probably what’s causing the rusty color. Sure up the bank with rip rap or dig a trench around it. 

[Lead Head]

I don't know why, and I'm sure it's rare... but there are occasions when beaver will eat fish. After watching one munch on a large perch in a local pond I did a little internet research and it turns out others have seen similar behavior. There is even a YouTube video of a beaver eating a fish. Most documentation I could find was of beavers eating freshly cleaned fish carcasses but I saw what I saw. And before anyone asks... yes it was a beaver, otters don't swim up to the boat and tail slap.

 

Call me crazy if you want... you won't be the first (or last unfortunately)