Where to Fish for Crappie Today — US

Covers both black crappie (P. nigromaculatus) and white crappie (P. annularis). Schooling panfish around brush, docks, and submerged timber. Spring pre-spawn is the prime season — small minnows and 1/16-oz jigs are the go-to.

Preferred conditions

Water temp: 50–80°F (ideal 65°F)
Tide: either
Moon: either
Depth: 3–20 ft
Active months: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Oct, Nov

Best crappie conditions today

Sort Open harvest only

Lake Hartwell

Anderson Co., SC

Clarks Hill Lake (J. Strom Thurmond)

McCormick Co., SC

Lake Wylie

Lake Norman

Iredell Co., NC

Mississippi River (Clinton)

Clinton Co., IA

Lake Travis

Sam Rayburn Reservoir

Lake Lanier

Forsyth Co., GA

West Point Lake

Shasta Lake

Lake Havasu

Lake Pleasant

Maricopa Co., AZ

Roosevelt Lake

Maricopa Co., AZ

Saguaro Lake

Maricopa Co., AZ

Lake Minnetonka

Hennepin Co., MN

Leech Lake

Lake Powell (Bullfrog)

Garfield Co., UT

Lake Mead (Hemenway Harbor)

Toledo Bend Reservoir

Milford Lake

Tuttle Creek Lake

Pottawatomie Co., KS

Rend Lake

Franklin Co., IL

Lewis and Clark Lake

Falcon Lake (Falcon International Reservoir)

Lake Seminole

Decatur Co., GA

Lake Amistad

Val Verde Co., TX

O.H. Ivie Reservoir

Clear Lake

Boysen Reservoir

Fremont Co., WY · harvest closed

Lake Winnebago (Menominee Park, Oshkosh)

Winnebago Co., WI

Carlyle Lake

Clinton Co., IL

California Delta (Sacramento–San Joaquin)

San Joaquin Co., CA

Grand Lake o' the Cherokees

Delaware Co., OK

Lake Murray

Lexington Co., SC

Elephant Butte Reservoir

Harlan County Reservoir

Lake of the Woods (Baudette)

Lake of the Woods Co., MN

Jordan Lake

Chatham Co., NC

Falls Lake

Lake Pueblo

Cherry Creek Reservoir

Arapahoe Co., CO

Boyd Lake

Larimer Co., CO

Mississippi River (Grafton)

Lake Gaston

Broken Bow Lake

McCurtain Co., OK

Lake Moultrie

Berkeley Co., SC

Lake of the Ozarks

Truman Lake

Deep Creek Lake

Garrett Co., MD

Jennings Randolph Lake

Garrett Co., MD

Prettyboy Reservoir

Baltimore Co., MD

J. Percy Priest Lake

Davidson Co., TN

Lake Vermilion

St. Louis Co., MN

Lake Cumberland

Russell Co., KY

Lake Okeechobee

Palm Beach Co., FL

Santee Cooper (Lake Marion)

Orangeburg Co., SC

Rocky Gap State Park — Lake Habeeb

Allegany Co., MD

Loch Raven Reservoir

Baltimore Co., MD

Liberty Reservoir

Carroll Co., MD

Triadelphia Reservoir

Seneca Creek State Park — Clopper Lake

Montgomery Co., MD

Burke Lake Park

Fairfax Co., VA

Lake Anna State Park

Spotsylvania Co., VA

Greenbrier State Park

Washington Co., MD

Broadford Lake Park

Garrett Co., MD

Shawnee State Park

Bedford Co., PA

Raystown Lake — Seven Points Beach

Huntingdon Co., PA

Laurel Hill State Park

Somerset Co., PA

Cowans Gap State Park

Prince Gallitzin State Park

Cambria Co., PA

Yellow Creek State Park

Indiana Co., PA

Tuscarora State Park

Schuylkill Co., PA

Cacapon Resort State Park

Lake Fork Reservoir

Lake Texoma

Grayson Co., TX

Lake Conroe

Montgomery Co., TX

Lake Tohopekaliga

Osceola Co., FL

Chickamauga Lake

Hamilton Co., TN

Kentucky Lake

Tims Ford Lake

Franklin Co., TN

Lake Guntersville

Marshall Co., AL

Wheeler Lake

Kentucky Lake

Smith Mountain Lake

Franklin Co., VA

Kerr Lake (Buggs Island)

Mecklenburg Co., VA

Claytor Lake

Pulaski Co., VA

Summersville Lake

Nicholas Co., WV

Cheat Lake

Monongalia Co., WV

Rainy Lake (International Falls)

Koochiching Co., MN

Lewis Smith Lake

Cullman Co., AL

Pickwick Lake

Colbert Co., AL

Lake Barkley

Bull Shoals Lake

Lake Ouachita

Garland Co., AR

Lake Eufaula

McIntosh Co., OK

Lake Berryessa

Lake Marion

Clarendon Co., SC

Beaver Lake

Carroll Co., AR

Lums Pond State Park

New Castle Co., DE

Gifford Pinchot State Park

Pine Grove Furnace State Park

Cumberland Co., PA

Table Rock Lake

Lake Monroe

Weiss Lake

Cherokee Co., AL

Lake George

Volusia Co., FL

Regulations by jurisdiction

Maryland (non-tidal)

Stale: last verified 51 days ago.

non tidal

Creel: 15

Non-tidal MD: no minimum size, 15 per day in aggregate (black + white crappie). Open year-round.

Source · verified 2026-04-22

Delaware (tidal)

Stale: last verified 51 days ago.

non tidal

Creel: 50

Delaware non-tidal waters: crappie (black and white) are regulated as "panfish" in aggregate with white perch, yellow perch, bluegill, and pumpkinseed — 50 fish/day total, no more than 25 of any one species. No minimum size. Notably more generous than MD's 15/day crappie-only aggregate.

Source · verified 2026-04-22

Virginia (non-tidal — VDWR)

Stale: last verified 51 days ago.

non tidal

Creel: 25

Non-tidal VA: 25 per day in aggregate (black + white crappie). No statewide minimum size. Several reservoirs impose a 9- or 10-inch minimum — Buggs Island (Kerr), Lake Gaston (which has no daily limit instead), Lake Anna, etc. More generous than MD (15/day) and narrower than DE (50/day aggregate panfish).

Source · verified 2026-04-22

PA

Stale: last verified 14 days ago.

non tidal

Min size: 9"
Creel: 20

9" minimum, 20/day (Panfish Enhancement waters may differ).

Source · verified 2026-05-29

TX

Stale: last verified 14 days ago.

non tidal

Min size: 10"
Creel: 25

10" minimum, 25/day (white & black crappie in combination).

Source · verified 2026-05-29

GA

Stale: last verified 14 days ago.

non tidal

Creel: 30

No minimum, 30/day (white & black crappie combined).

Source · verified 2026-05-29

FL

Stale: last verified 14 days ago.

non tidal

Creel: 25

No statewide minimum, 25/day (10" minimum on some waters).

Source · verified 2026-05-29

CA

Stale: last verified 14 days ago.

non tidal

Creel: 25

25/day in combination with sunfish; no size limit on most waters.

Source · verified 2026-05-29

AZ

Stale: last verified 14 days ago.

non tidal

Creel: 25

25/day (10 on some waters).

Source · verified 2026-05-29

TN

Stale: last verified 14 days ago.

non tidal

Creel: 20

20/day; only five over 12" per day.

Source · verified 2026-05-29

NC

Stale: last verified 14 days ago.

non tidal

Creel: no daily limit

No statewide creel or size limit (8"/20 on some reservoirs).

Source · verified 2026-05-29

SC

Stale: last verified 14 days ago.

non tidal

Creel: 20

20/day (8" minimum on Lake Murray and some waters).

Source · verified 2026-05-29

MO

Stale: last verified 14 days ago.

non tidal

Creel: 15

15/day on most Ozark reservoirs (varies by water).

Source · verified 2026-05-29

MN

Stale: last verified 14 days ago.

non tidal

Creel: 10

10/day (reduced on some quality-managed lakes).

Source · verified 2026-05-29

OK

Stale: last verified 14 days ago.

non tidal

Creel: 37

37/day statewide; 15/day on Grand, Eufaula, Tenkiller and other named lakes.

Source · verified 2026-05-29

AL

Stale: last verified 14 days ago.

non tidal

Min size: 9"
Creel: 30

9" minimum, 30/day.

Source · verified 2026-05-29

KY

Stale: last verified 14 days ago.

non tidal

Min size: 10"
Creel: 15

10" minimum, 15/day.

Source · verified 2026-05-29

AR

Stale: last verified 14 days ago.

non tidal

Min size: 10"
Creel: 15

10" minimum, 15/day on the highland reservoirs.

Source · verified 2026-05-29

NY

Stale: last verified 14 days ago.

non tidal

Creel: 25

25/day, no statewide minimum size.

Source · verified 2026-05-29

NTCO

Stale: last verified 11 days ago.

non tidal

Creel: 20

Black and white crappie in aggregate: 20/day, 20 in possession.

Source · verified 2026-06-01

NTUT

Stale: last verified 9 days ago.

non tidal

Creel: 10

Lake Powell: 10 crappie/day.

Source · verified 2026-06-03

NTNV

Stale: last verified 9 days ago.

non tidal

Creel: 15

Lake Mead: 15 crappie/day.

Source · verified 2026-06-03

NTWI

Stale: last verified 9 days ago.

non tidal

Creel: 25

Wisconsin inland: 25 panfish/day (crappie included) on most waters.

Source · verified 2026-06-03

NTND

Stale: last verified 9 days ago.

non tidal

Creel: no daily limit

North Dakota: no daily limit on crappie on most waters.

Source · verified 2026-06-03

NTNE

Stale: last verified 9 days ago.

non tidal

Creel: 15

Nebraska: 15 crappie/day on most reservoirs.

Source · verified 2026-06-03

NTLA

Stale: last verified 9 days ago.

non tidal

Creel: 50

Louisiana: 50 crappie ("sac-a-lait")/day, no statewide minimum (some waters carry a 10" minimum — confirm).

Source · verified 2026-06-03

NTIA

Stale: last verified 9 days ago.

non tidal

Creel: 25

Iowa: 25 crappie/day (Mississippi River and most waters).

Source · verified 2026-06-03

NTKS

Stale: last verified 9 days ago.

non tidal

Creel: 50

Kansas: 50 crappie/day on most reservoirs.

Source · verified 2026-06-03

IL

Stale: last verified 9 days ago.

non tidal

Creel: 25

Illinois: 25 crappie/day statewide (Carlyle and some lakes use a 10" minimum / 15 fish rule).

Source · verified 2026-06-03

WV

Stale: last verified 9 days ago.

non tidal

Creel: 30

West Virginia: 30 crappie/day on most waters (some impoundments are lower — confirm).

Source · verified 2026-06-03

NTNM

Stale: last verified 9 days ago.

non tidal

Creel: 15

New Mexico: 15 crappie/day, no size limit.

Source · verified 2026-06-03

NTSD

Stale: last verified 9 days ago.

non tidal

Creel: 15

South Dakota: 15 crappie/day, 30 in possession.

Source · verified 2026-06-03

IN

Stale: last verified 9 days ago.

non tidal

Creel: 25

Indiana: 25 crappie/day, no statewide size limit.

Source · verified 2026-06-03