Vernal Pond Vs Permanent Pond Usually ponds are smaller than lakes. But the main difference between a pond and a lake is that a pond is shallow enough for plants to grow from shore to shore under the water. Plants in a pond usually grow right across the middle and deepest parts of a pond. Lakes are deep enough that plants do not grow right across the lake's bottom.
Ponds usually have muddy or silty bottoms.
If there are rocks and stones on the bottom, there is enough mud or silt to support pond plant roots. If a smaller body of water is too deep to be considered a pond but not large enough to be considered a lake, it is usually called a 'pool'. There are different kinds of ponds. There are 'permanent ponds' and 'vernal ponds'. Permanent ponds are there all year round.