Types of crawfish ponds Crawfish ponds are generally categorized as wooded, semi-wooded and open ponds. Open ponds are further subdivided into permanent, ricefield and marsh ponds. The earliest type of pond used for crawfish cultivation in Louisiana was the wooded pond. These ponds are built in forested areas on heavy clay soils near drainage canals filled with precipitation from surface runoff. Wooded ponds produce 200 to 800 pounds of crawfish per acre.
Production is limited by the inability to manage water effectively.
These ponds have internal borrow ditches that channel water directly to the drains, impeding water circulation throughout the pond. Wooded ponds have poor stands of vegetative forage because of shading, but leaf litter provides a significant amount of forage for the crawfish. Water flow and crawfish harvest are difficult because the trees hinder movement of water and obstruct harvesting boats. Tree-free lanes are cut to provide trapping areas in wooded ponds. After several years of alternate flooding and drying, wooded ponds have high hardwood mortality, thus reducing tree density and generally improving crawfish habitat.