Crappie Size

[Crappisaurusrex]

How long does it take for a Crappie to get to 12"? Thanks C-rex

[CrappiePappy]

that would depend on the waters it swam in, state/region those waters are in, food source availability, water conditions, predation level, and a whole host of other things.
Also, take into consideration which specie is being referred to ... Black Crappie or White Crappie. Black Crappie don't grow "lengthwise" as fast as White Crappie, but can be "heavier" than a White Crappie of the same length.
And also consider how long Crappie live, on average (again - where & under what conditions the fish lives, is going to affect that)

You might contact your F&W Dept., and ask them about your state, or particular body of water within. Or check with the state F&W or DNR, of whatever "other" state(s) you're interested in.

I think a "ballpark" answer is around 3" per year, for the first 3-4yrs. But, that's just IMHO (and based on local "averages") ......... cp

[sls]

I ask the guy (name ?) who did the report in Kentucky @ Blood river in 2003. He tracked the crappie each week for about a year, as he had 30 white and 30 black with transmiters in them. He said 4" 1st year 3" 2nd year, 2.5 3rd year and on down as they got older. These are estimates of Blood river crappie , of course.

[Moose1am]

They grow pretty good in KY lake and in the Blood River area of that lake.

Like crappie pappy said the growth rates vary according to environmental factors and the fish's genetic stock.

Lakes further south have warmer winter temperatures and longer growing seasons for the crappie and their prey species. So they may grow at a faster RATE than a crappie up in Michigan for example.

Water quality and the nutrients in the water also effect the growth rates of fish. So even in the same general area (latititude wise) the growth rates of different bodies of water can vary.

I read that at Patoka lake in Southern IN the crappie take 6 or 7 years to reach about 12".

The way you tell how old a fish has lived is to take some scale samples and observe them under a microscope and count the growth rings.



The same thing can be done with a small round thing that is taken out of the inner ears of the crappie. This round thing is cut in half and thin slices are taken and put under a high powered microscope in order to observe and count the growth rings.

Here is a link to a fisheries Biologist's report for Patoka Lake in Southern IN. This is for the year 2004 I believe.

http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/publi...4%20report.pdf

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I ask the guy (name ?) who did the report in Kentucky @ Blood river in 2003. He tracked the crappie each week for about a year, as he had 30 white and 30 black with transmiters in them. He said 4" 1st year 3" 2nd year, 2.5 3rd year and on down as they got older. These are estimates of Blood river crappie , of course.