White and Black Crappie: Genus Pomoxis

These species are part of the Sunfish family. Their range extends through central and eastern North America. In Canada, they are found in Southern Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba and isolated areas in British Columbia. Consistent with other sunfishes, crappie are spring spawners. They will move into shallow bays, boat canals and other places where warm water exists in early spring. Spawning however does not take place until late spring when the water temperatures are in the 66-68 Degree Fahrenheit range. Male crappie take much of the responsibility prior to, during and post-spawning. They dig nests, guard the fertilized eggs and protect the young once they hatch.

The maximum size generally varies according to latitude. White crappie are typically smaller than black crappie. Black crappie can grow to five pounds although most fisheries never produce fish over a pound. Crappie can live 8-10 years and sexual maturity is usually reached between ages 2 and 4.

Crappie are opportunist feeders. They will eat a variety of organisms including plankton and aquatic invertebrates such as insect larvae and small crustaceans but will also eat fishes. Crappie are unique from other sunfishes in that they feed both during the day and at night. The heaviest feeding often occurs in the early morning hours as well as between midnight and 2 am. During non-spawning times, anglers often have difficulty locating them because large schools will suspend in the water column. This likely occurs because of prey availability.

Both the white and black crappie are prized sportfish. A large recreational industry occurs in the United States while in Canada they are less sought after. The only exception to this is during the spring shallow water feeding and spawning. They have firm white meat with sweet flavor that is highly valued by most.