Page 10 - Crappie NOW | September 2015
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Stocking for Crappie Success
stocking program. Crappie ranks second in
the number of warm-water fish species that we
produce in our hatcheries (behind walleye).”
Other states fisheries departments
have taken note as well. Stocking continues
to increase in popularity as a crappie
management tool.
Since those first fish were stocked,
TWRA has continually evaluated ways to
maximize the benefit of the crappie stocking.
For example, biologists have learned that
the stocked fingerlings simply don’t recruit
well into the populations of some reservoirs,
including some of the largest mainstream
reservoirs. Therefore, those reservoirs don’t
get stocked anymore, which leaves more fish
for those places where stocked fish tend to
perform best.
Tennessee’s stocking program is
also limited to waters where black crappie
are the primary crappie species. Although
white crappie populations probably could be
supplemented in the same manner if fingerling
spawning success varies dramatically based fish were available, they have proven much
on conditions, especially spring water levels. more difficult to raise in hatcheries than black
“In 2014, we stocked almost 2 million crappie.
fingerlings into 11 major reservoirs and four Crappie that have been hatchery
agency fishing lakes,” Wilson said. “We have spawned during the spring reach a suitable
come a long way since 1988 with our crappie size for stocking late in the fall. That works out
10 Crappie NOW September 2015
