White Crappie (Pomoxis annularis)

white_crappie_300The White Crappie will live in quiet or sluggish lakes, streams and rivers, though it is tolerant of turbid water.  They prefer submerged timber or lots of vegetation.  They prefer a water temperature of 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, but they can tolerate up to 80 degrees.  As a predator, the white crappie eats minnows, shad, and other sunfish, and to a smaller degree, microcrustacea and plankton.  However, the white crappie is vulnerable to many predators including walleye, bass, muskellunge, great blue herons, osprey, otters, minks, snapping turtles, mergansers, and cormorants. 

Both females and males become sexually mature at 2 years old.  At this point in their life, and between the months of April to June, when the water reaches a temperature of 57 degrees Fahrenheit, the male constructs a saucer-shaped nest in the shallows, near a submerged brush or stump.  The female will then lay the eggs and after 2-5 days, the eggs will hatch, and the male will guard the eggs and young until the fry have dispersed.  The white Crappie typically grow to be around 17 inches long.

Further Reading

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