Black Crappie

COMMON NAMES: Black crappie, Papermouth, Specks

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Pomoxis nigromaculatus

IDENTIFICATION: Black crappie closely resemble white crappie, but have deeper bodies. Furthermore, their head, back and sides are mottled with dusky or black blotches. These blotches do not form vertical bands as on white crappie. The most reliable characteristic, however, is that black crappie have seven or eight dorsal spines.

RANGE AND HABITAT: Generally, black crappie prefer clear water containing aquatic vegetation. They are less tolerant of silt and turbidity than white crappie.

LIFE HISTORY: Like other members of the sunfish family, black crappie are nest builders. They nest in the spring, generally when water temperatures reach 60°F. The biology of black crappie is very similar to that of white crappie. Growth in terms of weight is very similar between the two species. White crappie tend to have higher growth rates in terms of length, but black crappie are more robust in body construction. Black crappie adults feed on fewer fish, and more insects and crustaceans, than do white crappie.

Males construct a nest by fanning out small depressions on the bottom in and around brush, rocks, or vegetation in water between 1 and 5 feet deep. Females then lay 5,000 to 30,000 eggs in the nest. After hatching, crappie feed on zooplankton and insect larvae. As they grow, crappie switch primarily to a diet of small fish.

ADULT SIZE: Black crappie average 8 to 12 inches. Record fish weighing over 4 pounds, and 18.12 inches long have been documented.

FISHING METHODS: Black crappie bite best on live minnows, small jigs, and spinners. The spring spawning season is the best time to fish for black crappie. Anglers should concentrate on areas with brush, stumps, and docks. During summer and early fall crappie are usually found in deeper water along creek channels, roadbeds and submerged points. Late fall can be another hot time for crappie as they move inshore again for a short time.

Distribution: The native range of the species was very similar to that of the white crappie, except that it extended slightly further north into Canada and east to the coastal plain south of Virginia. Currently, populations of black crappie can be found in each of the 48 contiguous United States.