Even if you empty your pond before the winter, there’s a good chance it will refill naturally. It’s ideal in most cases, then, to leave water in your pond and winterize it instead. This method will prevent ice damage and protect wildlife. Plus, it’ll lessen the steps required to reopen your pond in the spring.

Yes, your fish should stay alive in a frozen pond if you winterize it properly. By ensuring your pond has enough oxygen, good water quality, and a hole to release harmful gases, your pond and fish have the best chance of staying alive and healthy. However, if you have tropical fish, they should be overwintered indoors.

One reason you may want to fill in your pond is the cost of maintenance. Pond cleaning may cost about $1,000 for an annual cleanup, or monthly visits may cost $75 to $100 per visit. If you don’t want to spend that much per year on pond upkeep, you may consider filling in your pond.

Smaller, pondless water features like bird baths, self-contained fountains, and bubbling rocks are much lower maintenance than their counterparts that include ponds. Pondless features help you avoid high pond maintenance costs and allow you to spend more time enjoying the water feature and less time on upkeep.