White Crappie
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Scientific Name:
Pomoxis annularis Freshwater
Native
Fish
- Seasons and Regulations
- Licenses/Permits
Description
Small freshwater fish, averaging less than a pound. Similar to black crappie. Both fish have the same colors (silvery-olive shading to green or brown on the back and bright silver to white on the belly), but white crappie have seven to nine vertical bars on their sides and black crappie have just random green or blackish blotches. Black crappie have seven or eight dorsal spines while white crappie have five or six.
Range and Habitat
Official state fish of Louisiana. Found in open freshwater with submerged timber or aquatic vegetation in standing water bodies and slow flowing backwaters of medium to large rivers. More tolerant of muddy water than black crappie. Found near vegetation and woody debris in shallow water during spawning season.
Behavior
Begin to spawn in February in south Louisiana and in April in north Louisiana when water temperatures reach 60 to 65°F. Male crappie seek out nesting sites with firm bottoms in shoreline areas with depths of 1 to 6 feet. Their coloring becomes vivid to attract females to the nests for mating. Females may produce and deposit eggs several times during the spawning season and mate with several males. Females produce 30,000 to 200,000 eggs. After releasing eggs, females return to deeper waters and males guard the nest. Young crappie feed on plankton, juveniles and adults feed on small fishes and invertebrates including shad, minnows, aquatic insects, crawfish, and freshwater shrimp. Life span averages 9 years.
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