Crappie

Black or white

The white crappie has 5 to 10 faint vertical bars and usually six dorsal spines; the black crappie is speckled and blotched with no bars and has seven or eight spines. White crappie tolerate muddy water better, and black crappie prefer clearer lakes, which is why South Carolina finds one or the other dominating most impoundments and why black crappie predominate in the clear, acidic waters of east Texas. Missouri gives 9 to 10 inches as the usual length for both. Young crappie eat zooplankton and insects and switch to fish at about seven inches; in big reservoirs adults feed on threadfin and small gizzard shad, and on mayfly nymphs in summer (SCDNR).

The spawn

Crappie spawn in spring in coves protected from waves. Missouri gives mid-April to early June, once the water passes 56°F; South Carolina and Texas say nesting starts as the water approaches 60°F, and TPWD gives 65 to 70°F as typical for white crappie with spawning seen as low as 56°F. Males fan out nests on sand, gravel or mud, often in colonies; South Carolina describes white crappie nests in 2 to 8 feet of water. Their high reproductive potential, TPWD notes, often leads to overpopulation and stunted fish in small lakes.

The mistakes that cost fish

Setting the hook like a bass angler: Iowa DNR warns that the thin mouth membrane tears easily, and the name papermouth is a reminder. Fishing under the fish: crappie often rise from below to take a bait, so Iowa suggests keeping a jig at least a foot off the bottom and setting a float so the bait clears the top of brush or stake beds. And giving up on a brush pile too soon: South Carolina notes that fish around piers and brush come and go, and that fishing pressure thins them only for short periods.

Tackle setups

Playbook by water temperature

Month by month

Best waters for crappie

393 waters we report on where this species is one of the main fish, each with a daily report.

Common questions