A still pond covered in floating weed with a grassy bank behind it

01

What an hour at the pond looks like

Kneel, sweep, tip, wait

You kneel on a firm bank and half fill a white tray with pond water before the net goes in. Then you sweep a slow figure eight through one patch of water: the open surface, the stems of the weeds, or the top of the mud. You turn the net inside out into the tray and wait. For a minute it looks like leaves and silt. Then things start to move. A water boatman rows across the tray, a damselfly nymph waves its three tail gills, a caddisfly larva drags a case built from bits of twig. You move the interesting ones into a small pot with a spoon, look at them through a hand lens, check them against a guide, and note what you found. Everything goes back within about 20 minutes, in the same spot it came from. Then you try a different patch of the pond and compare.

02

How to get started

Tick these off as you go

03

Choosing a net and tray

Mesh

About 1 mm (1/32 inch) or finer. Coarse fishing landing nets let most pond animals slip through.

Frame

A stiff metal rim that holds its shape when you push it through weeds. A flat front edge works best along the bottom and the bank.

Bag depth

Shallow, no deeper than the frame is wide, so it turns inside out easily and animals do not get lost in the folds.

Handle

2.5 to 5 feet reaches the weeds from a kneeling position. Telescoping handles pack small but check that the lock holds when the net is full of water.

Tray

White, 2 to 4 inches deep, and at least the size of a sheet of paper. White shows up dark animals, and a wide, shallow tray keeps the water cool and full of oxygen.

Before each trip, check the mesh for holes and the seam where the bag meets the rim.

A hole the size of a pea loses most of the catch.

04

What you will find, and when

On the surface: Water striders and whirligig beetles, which skate on the surface film. Sweep fast and shallow to catch them.
In open water: Water boatmen and backswimmers (handle backswimmers in the tray only, they can give a sharp nip), water fleas and mosquito larvae.
Among the weeds: Damselfly and dragonfly nymphs, mayfly nymphs, diving beetles, pond snails, and tadpoles and newt larvae in spring and summer.
On the bottom: Caddisfly larvae in their cases, freshwater shrimp-like scuds, water slaters, leeches and bloodworms.

Best season

Late spring through early fall, when the water is warm and most insects are large enough to see. Winter dips still work but turn up fewer animals.

Best time of day

Any time in daylight. An overcast day is easier on the animals in the tray than hot sun.

A water strider standing on the surface of still water, seen from above — A water strider on the surface film

05

Safety, permission and looking after the pond

A wooden rail over a pond with a sign that reads Always kneel when pond dipping — A sign on a dipping platform: always kneel

Water safety

Dip only from firm banks or platforms beside shallow water, and tell someone where you are going. Children need an adult within arm's reach at all times.

Hygiene

Pond water can carry bacteria, including the one that causes leptospirosis. Cover cuts with waterproof bandages, keep your hands away from your face, and wash with soap or sanitizer before eating.

Skip any pond with a green or blue-green scum on the surface.

That can be a toxic algae bloom, and it is harmful to people and dogs.

Permission

You need the landowner's say-so on private land. Many state parks, national parks and nature preserves ban netting without a permit, so ask at the office before you dip.

Protected animals

Some frogs, salamanders, turtles and mussels are protected by state or federal law. Do not take any animal home. Many states also require a fishing license to net fish, tadpoles or crayfish, so look, then let them go.

Amphibians

Handle them as little as possible and only with wet, clean hands. Sunscreen and insect repellent on skin can harm them.

Clean, Drain, Dry

Rinse the net, tray and boots, then dry them completely before visiting a different pond. Wet gear carries invasive plants and amphibian diseases from one pond to the next.

Leave the pond as you found it

Do not pull out armfuls of weed, and put back any stone or log you turn over.

Before you visit a second pond

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers The US campaign that explains Clean, Drain, Dry for nets, boots and trays

06

What trips beginners up

Expect a tray of murk on your first sweeps. Animals show up once the silt settles, so give each tray a full minute before you decide it is empty.
Expect to name most finds only to a group (a mayfly nymph, a diving beetle) for the first season. Species names often need a microscope.
Expect some dips to be thin. A new, fish-stocked or heavily shaded pond holds far fewer animals than an old weedy one.
Do not scoop the mud. A net full of sludge buries and crushes the catch. Skim the top of the bottom layer instead.
Do not crowd the tray or leave it in the sun. Warm, shallow water runs out of oxygen within minutes, and predators such as dragonfly nymphs eat their tray mates.
Do not pick animals up with your fingers. A plastic spoon, a pipette or a soft paintbrush moves them without damage.
Do not dip the same patch over and over. Three or four sweeps in one spot is enough, then move along the bank.

A green frog sitting among lily pads at water level — A frog among lily pads

07

Where to learn more

Two children with a blue dip net on a wooden dock over a weedy pond — A dip net on a pond dock

Nature centers, county park districts and local Audubon chapters run guided pond dips from spring through fall, usually free or a few dollars, and they hand you the gear. A session with a naturalist teaches the common animals faster than any book. To put a name on a find at home, photograph it in the tray from directly above and upload it to a free identification app, where other naturalists confirm or correct it. Volunteer stream monitoring programs go a step further: they train you to count pollution-sensitive insects and use the tally to score how clean the water is.

Free places to name a find and learn more

08

Why the kit looks like this

Only two things are essential: a fine-mesh net and a white tray. Everything else makes the animals easier to see, name and remember. A hand lens and a few clear pots let you study one animal at a time, a field guide puts names on them, and a waterproof notebook survives wet hands. Pipettes cost a few dollars and save a lot of small animals from clumsy fingers. The kneeling pad and the pocket microscope are comforts for later. If your net and tray came from the kitchen, the whole hobby can stay close to free.

Close-up of a dark tadpole with gold flecks beside a plant stem underwater — A tadpole, close up

09

Load the bucket

Compare the options on each line, then set your tiers and check out from the cart. Clicking a card selects it there, and clicking the selected card again takes that line out. The two optional lines start out of the bucket.

Fine-mesh pond dipping net

EssentialCore equipment

The net is the hobby. Fine mesh on a stiff frame holds tiny insects that slip straight through a fishing net.

budget

Kids Fishing Net - Telescoping Bait, Minnow, and Butterfly Net With 11.4" Depth, Handle Extends to 30" for Easy Catch and Release

4.4(1.7K)

$17.99

Pond Dipping

What an hour at the pond looks like

How to get started

Choosing a net and tray

What you will find, and when

Safety, permission and looking after the pond

What trips beginners up

Where to learn more

Why the kit looks like this

Load the bucket

Fine-mesh pond dipping net

White sorting tray

Hand lens (10x magnifier)

Clear magnifying bug pots

Pond life field guide

Plastic transfer pipettes

Waterproof notebook

Garden kneeling pad

Pocket microscope