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Colorado Fish Species

Arctic Char
Arctic Grayling
Bigmouth Buffalo
Black Bullhead
Black Crappie
Blue Catfish
Bluegill
Bluehead sucker
Bonytail Chub
Brook Trout
Brown Trout
Channel Catfish
Colorado Pikeminnow
Colorado River Cutthroat
Common Carp
Creek Chub
Cutbow Trout
Cutthroat Trout
Emerald Shiner
Flannelmouth Sucker
Flathead Catfish
Flathead Chub
Freshwater Drum
Gizzard Shad
Golden Shiner
Golden Trout
Goldfish
Grass Carp
Green Sunfish
Greenback Cutthroat
Hybrid Striped Bass(wiper/palmetto)
Kokanee
Lake Chub
Lake Trout
Largemouth Bass
Longnose Sucker
Mountain Whitefish
Northern Pike
Orangespotted Sunfish
Pumpkinseed
Rainbow Trout
Redear Sunfish
River Carpsucker
Roundtail Chub
Rudd
Sacramento Perch
Sauger
Saugeye
Smallmouth Bass
Snake River Cutthroat
Splake
Spottail Shiner
Spotted Bass
Striped Bass
Sunfish (Bream)
Tiger Muskie
Tiger Trout
Walleye
White Bass
White Crappie
White Sucker
Yellow Bullhead
Yellow Perch
Yellowstone Cutthroat

Black Crappie
Crappies have the deep and laterally compressed body commonly associated with sunfish. Their mouths are fairly large, typical of fish eaters, with the upper jaw extending below the eye. Dorsal and anal fins are large and similar in shape.  Black crappies are typically silvery-gray to white with black mottling. During spawn they often take on a blackish coloring. While frequently confused with white crappie, they are readily distinguished by counting the dorsal spines.  Black crappie has 7-8, whereas the white have 6 or less. Thanks to stocking, black crappie can be found throughout much of the United States.  Their maximum size is under 20 inches and around 5-6 lbs. 
 
Black crappies prefer clear water with an abundance of aquatic vegetation. Before spawn, they from large schools and move shallow to feed.  Crappies are nest builders and spawn in late spring when water temperatures approach 60 degrees. They nest in the spring, generally when water temperatures reach 60°F. Nests are guarded by the males, much the same as other sunfish.
 
Crappies prefer to feed during early morning and evening periods, but are often active during the day and late into the evening.  Smaller fish feed on a large variety of crustaceans, insect larva and plankton.  Larger fish typically prefer small fish,  such as minnows.
 
Popular with anglers, crappie can be caught on a large number of lures and live bait and are highly prized for their table quality.  Regardless of what method an angler uses to catch they, care is required when setting the hook and playing crappie, as their paper thin mouths are easily torn.
 


Most Recent Black Crappie Forum Posts
It has been a good Spring 06.12.23 by Mattastrophy
Catching Crappie at JMR 04.10.23 by johnski
Plains Crappie 08.31.22 by Barnacles
Crappie Revenge 04.28.22 by Barnacles
Sometimes... just sometimes 04.27.22 by anglerwannabe
Fly fishing for Crappie in spring. 04.14.22 by Troutbisquits
Front Range Crappie 04.07.22 by Barnacles
First Fish 05.17.21 by Barnacles
Lake Pend Oreille - Panfish 05.10.21 by chodeman
Happy Mother's Day 05.10.21 by Barnacles
Black Crappie Articles, Blogs, & Podcasts
Blog: Sonar Exploration to Catch More Shallow Fish 06.19.21 by Matt Snider
Blog: Anti-Troutite, not really 03.14.21 by Jeff Wagner
Blog: Small pond surprise 04.20.18 by David Coulson
Blog: Visiting Old Friends 03.14.18 by David Coulson
Blog: MA crappie 12.05.16 by David Coulson
Blog: Fish'n the 'hood 05.04.16 by David Coulson
Blog: Ignoring Instincts Paid Off 08.05.15 by David Coulson
Blog: Crappie Fish'n Has Been Good 05.26.15 by David Coulson
Blog: The Fishexplorer Comunity 05.18.15 by Rob Stout
Blog: Fifteen, But Who’s Counting? – Oh, I Am! 10.17.14 by David Coulson
Operation Game Thief
Call to report illegal fishing/hunting:
1-877-265-6648
(1-877-COLO-OGT)
or:
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