15 Small Backyard Pond Ideas

Would you like to build a small pond in your backyard but you’re short on space?

Even if you have a tiny backyard you can still install a small garden pond.

Here are 15 beautiful small backyard pond ideas to get you started.

Some of these ponds are ideal for small fish, while others are wildlife ponds that will attract birds, frogs, lizards and many other types of wildlife to your backyard.

This post contains affiliate links. Please read the disclosure for more info.

small round pond

SMALL BACKYARD POND IDEAS

1. Small Rectangle Koi Pond

How nice would it be to have a beautiful koi pond right outside your back door?

This rectangular pond is large enough for a few plants and fish and it’s surrounded by pavers so you could set up an outdoor seating area to sit and watch the fish.

small rectangle pond

2. Small Oval Shaped Pond

This beautiful oval shaped pond is surrounded by different shaped rocks and beautiful purple irises.

Notice that the water is a beautiful aqua blue color? You can get this effect by adding a small amount of blue pond dye to the water.

pond liner

3. Small Round Pond with Flat Rocks

Beautiful flat rocks placed around the edge of the pond with some of the rocks overhanging provides shade for fish and a place for them to hide from predators.

The reddish colored rocks contrast well with the bright green of the ferns and other plants surrounding the pond.

Rocks for garden ponds

4. Small Gravel Lined Pond

This little pond is lined with gravel and has gently sloping edges, making it ideal for visiting wildlife like frogs, lizards and birds to enter and exit the pond.

You could easily construct a small wildlife pond like this in a day or two.

small gravel pond

5. Hexagonal Pond

This small hexagonal pond is situated between a wooden deck and a beautiful manicured green lawn.

It features an abundance of floating and marginal pond plants and behind the pond is a lush garden that helps the pond to blend into the surrounding landscape.

small hexagonal pond

6. Small Backyard Pond With Bridge

Adding a beautiful ornate metal bridge to a pond can transform your backyard and make the area more accessible.

If you have fish in your pond, a bridge will provide an elevated platform to view them from.

Small pond with bridge

7. Small Pond With Stacked Rocks

This beautiful pond is edged with stacked rocks and has beautiful yellow irises planted in the middle.

The picnic table would be a great place to sit and enjoy the pond.

new pond

8. Natural Pond With Waterlilies

This natural pond features an abundance of waterlilies and other pond plants.

The large rock placed in the water makes it easy for birds to land and take a drink. It’s also a perfect spot for lizards to sun themselves on.

pond with plants

9. Natural Pond With Gravel

This is another natural pond that uses gravel on the bottom. It’s surrounded by beautiful plants and pavers.

pavers around pond

10. Small Kidney Shaped Pond

This kidney shaped pond is made using a pond liner with rocks around the edge.

As you can see, the pond liner is partially visible underneath the rocks, so if you’re building a pond like this, it’s best to use large flat rocks that slightly overhang the edge of the pond which will hide the liner.

kidney shaped pond

11. Pond With Rock Wall

This beautiful pond features a wall at one side made from stacked rocks and pebbles on the other side.

There are two waterfalls to keep the pond aerated and create a beautiful flowing water sound.

Garden pond edging

12. Natural Pond With Large Rocks

This natural pond uses large flat rocks around the edge and a gradual waterfall for a beautiful trickling water sound.

miniature pond

13. DIY Small Pond

If you’re looking for an easy DIY backyard pond, this pond kit contains a pond liner, pump, two fountain heads and installation instructions.

This would be a good weekend DIY project.

14. Above Ground Pond

If you’re really short on space, an above ground pond like this one would be perfect for a balcony, deck, courtyard or patio.

It includes a pump, LED waterfall light, clay growing media and decorative gravel.

15. Pondless Waterfall

A pondless waterfall made from stacked flat rocks is a great alternative to a pond for a small backyard.

A pump is used to transport the water from the pebbled area up to the top of the waterfall to create the beautifully relaxing sound of cascading water.

Small pond waterfall

So there are 15 small garden pond ideas to get you started.

I hope these ideas have given you some inspiration for your own backyard pond.

RELATED ARTICLES

Which of these small pond ideas do you like best? Let me know in the comments below.

Are you on Pinterest? I have boards dedicated to Backyard Ponds and Water Features that you may find interesting.

Also, don’t forget to pin this post so you can come back to it when you’re ready to start designing your pond.

small pond ideas
small pond ideas

Also, check out the Must-Have Pond Products page where I list the essential pond products to make life as a pond owner much easier!

Kelly Martin

Hi, I'm Kelly Martin, a landscape gardener with a special interest in ponds and water gardens. For over a decade, I've been designing and creating beautiful gardens that feature stunning water features, from small garden ponds to large water gardens. Read more

This Post Has 11 Comments

  1. Scott DeNicola

    A Koi pond has been something I have been wanting to do for some time now. I have a big enough yard to construct one but I need to find just the right place considering I have sprinkler lines running all over my yard. My neighbor built a raised one out of lumber that goes about 4 feet down into the ground as well, It holds over 1,000 gallons of water and his Koi have gotten massive

  2. LuLu B - Calabrisella Mia

    A good collection of ideas for a small pond – a nice way to make your outdoor living more pleasant.

  3. Melanie williams

    Aw wow there are some really nice and lovely ideas here for a pond in the garden. Love all the pictures x

  4. Lyosha

    How cute! I have always wanted a pond, it is always so peaceful. I think I definitely have something special for water

  5. Kat

    These are some great ideas! I like the classic, oval shaped pond, but it’s always good to add some rocks for the wildlife. The one with the bridge is, of course, very special and beautiful. It reminds me of the ones in our local parks, where there are lots of bridges like that.

  6. jerry godinho

    Lovely pics and lovely description. I love all of these small pond ideas.

  7. Britt K

    I have always LOVED the look of a backyard pond, especially those with koi fish!!! Unfortunately, I have two water loving dogs and there’s no way that a pond would stay looking that nice in our house for long… That being said, I do really like the look of the final waterfall that you shared, without the pond to entice the pups. I might have to look at adding something like that!

  8. Subhashish Roy

    These ponds look so cute and refreshing. It reminded me of my very young days when I had first enrolled in school. I talked my father into buying some ducks as I loved the sight of them. And then I wanted a pond so that they could swim around. We luckily had a house with a big garden space, some reserved for flowers and the rest for vegetables. And then my father I remember dug a small pond over a weeks time. You brought back those early memories. Thank you Kelly.

  9. Erica (The Prepping Wife)

    I’m a big fan of the pond with a bridge. It just elevates the look of a pond from something basic to something really beautiful and elegant. That is easily my favorite. I do like the tips about using rocks to cover the pond liner and hide it in plain sight. I never would have thought to use something so simple to hide an eyesore. Great advice!

  10. Tracy @ Cleland Clan

    I love the sound of running water, so the natural pond with the large rocks would be my pick. I do love the bridge though, so it was a difficult decision. I’d love to even have a small fountain on our back patio, but alas, there is no outdoor outlet. We do have a creek that runs through the woods along the back and west side of our property, but the water levels are usually so low that you can’t really hear it.

  11. Jordan

    Beautiful small pond ideas . I will start working on mine right away. My space is larger than what’s shown here but I will use the inspiration.

Leave a Reply