Black Crappie are a favorite species of many fishermen. Their beautiful coloration and excellent tasting fillets are surely the reason, but their reputation in small ponds is not as good.
Female Black Crappie are able to generate 60,000 eggs/pound of body weight, which lends to their boom or bust nature. It is common to see them overpopulate in a pond, and then in a few years, they can just about disappear. In general, the smaller the pond, the less stable their population is likely to be.
Black Crappie Advice:
Generally, we recommend not stocking this fish in smaller ponds because of their unpredictable nature. Small crappie find plenty of natural food, such as zooplankton, insect larvae, snails, and leech, but adult Black Crappie feed mainly on small fish, and will not take fish pellets. If you would like to stock Black Crappie, we recommend up to 200 per Surface Acre for an initial stocking. They are best stocked in large ponds and lakes with a stable Largemouth Bass population. Consider stocking Hybrid Crappie in smaller ponds.
WI & IL Customers only, Sorry, but we do not sell fish outside of WI or IL at this time.
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