[meadowlarkponds]

The key would be in the mesh size. To make most effective use of the forage pond, you would need to insure no LMB, zero. You could use a grate or some other material, but in the second year when your LMB spawn they will be as small as the smallest fish and can pass into the forage pond. Now, very small YOY LMB won't do much harm to your forage pond at first, but they grow and when they get 12 to 14 inches can absolutely create havoc and undo what you are trying to accomplish.

I once put about 60 Hybrid Striped Bass(HSB) in what I thought was an empty forage pond...after draining the pond months later, I discovered zero(0) HSB, and one fat, smiling LMB. They are top of the line fresh water predators and will find a way.

The most productive way, IMO, would be to use very small mesh to insure no fish move back and forth and then trap, net, cast net, and/or catch the small forage to move manually into the main pond. If that sounds like too much work, then, you could try the other approach for a couple of years and see what happens...but I predict at least one, happy, fat LMB in the forage pond in a couple of years.

One last thought....if you really want to avoid the fine mesh and associated work but still want to use a forage pond, then you could stock 100% female LMB in the main pond. It would work...one mistake, however, will undo that and also you would have to replenish LMB that are removed.