Smithville Lake Crappie Regulation Change will go into effect March 1st, 2019.

The new regulation is worded as: The daily limit of (30) crappie may not include more that fifteen (15) fish more than 9" in total length.

This regulation increases the daily limit from fifteen (15) crappie to thirty (30) and only fifteen (15) of those crappie can be over nine inches (9”). The intent of this regulation change is to protect the white crappie population with the historically-used fifteen (15) fish over nine inches (9”) part of the regulation, while allowing additional harvest of the abundant, undersized black crappie in the lake. We encourage anglers that want to keep fish under 9" to keep Black Crappie. We encourage anglers to harvest the undersized black crappie from the population to allow the crappie that remain the ability to grow faster and reach desirable lengths. Reducing the black crappie population should increase the growth rates of both white and black crappie.

2018 SMV Crappie Data


  • Black crappie make up 70% of the SMV crappie population
  • 2% of black crappie are over 9"
  • 76% of white crappie are over 9"
  • 43% of white crappie are over 10"


I would like to thank everyone for their support in getting this passed. It has been quite the process. I truly believe that this is a step in the right direction and will improve the crappie fishery at Smithville Lake.

If anyone has any questions please contact me.

Eric Dennis
Fisheries Management Biologist
Missouri Department of Conservation
(816) 271-3100 ext. 1433
[email protected]