Freshwater aquaculture development in Henan province is uneven, with more intensive systems occurring in the Huanghe basin while the southern part is relatively underdeveloped and is the target for improving productivity growth of the aquaculture sector. With the high potential areas already developed, increasing aquaculture productivity in the more challenging areas needs to be more strategic and well-supported with relevant information about the opportunities and limitations faced in these areas. To aid aquaculture planning and management, GIS modeling tools were used to map and evaluate the potential, and identify constraints, for smallholding pond aquaculture development.