Kentucky has over 135,000 farm ponds. These ponds are used for irrigation, watering livestock, and recreation. However, most ponds are under-utilized for recreation. Existing ponds can provide excellent recreational opportunities if properly managed. The first step in recreational pond management is to determine the pond's purpose. Ponds can be managed for swimming, fishing, aesthetics and to attract wildlife. It may be difficult to manage for all of these things simultaneously. The pond owner must decide about goals or what is most important. If fishing is the desired objective, the following should help.