Can crappie overpopulate a lake?

[Spoonminnow]

If so will it affect quality? A lake I hadn't fished for some time had an amazing numbers of crappie - around 10" the day I fished it - but far fewer sunfish or perch. Not complaining and will go back just for the sheer numbers (54 fish in all in 4 hours), but it concerns me that other species were not in the usual ratio for this lake years past.

[hdhntr]

keep going back and keeping your limits of fish. IF the population is that big you need to help reduce it. but usually over populated crappie lakes have smaller fish.

[Ketchn]

they can get out of hand and do in many spots , they are very good at reproduction and if not kept in check by some form of predation or possibly other natural depletions its quite likely they will get out of hand .
its very difficult for fishermen to keep them in check unless it is a really small water body .
I would think if they average 10 inches its not likely its over populated as stated previously .
every place I seen over run with them a 7 to 8 inch fish was a real large one

[Spoonminnow]

its very difficult for fishermen to keep them in check unless it is a really small water body

Seen very few crappie anglers on the lake - mostly bass anglers. I don't keep fish so in this case it would be wise for the DEC (environment, fish & game dept.) to survey the lake with electroshock and open the creel of 25/day to unlimited. It will never happen!
The NYSDEC is clueless when it comes to enforcement or fish management. Example: they allowed for 5000 hybrid carp to be stocked in my local shallow (11' deep) lake. The club stocked 3500 and decimated the weed beds needed for fish which after 10 years is still the same. Fish quality is done for and who knows for how many years!

[longhunter]

yes...

[Eric_Rybak]

pond owners should think very carefully before stocking crappie. They may not spawn in the same numbers of young as bluegill but they have larger mouths so they can outcompete bluegill for food. They can quickly overpopulate a pond as bass prefer BG to crappie for eating. If you aren't careful, they can tank a pond.

[Spoonminnow]

pond owners should think very carefully before stocking crappie. They may not spawn in the same numbers of young as bluegill but they have larger mouths so they can outcompete bluegill for food. They can quickly overpopulate a pond as bass prefer BG to crappie for eating. If you aren't careful, they can tank a pond.

Kind of figured that. But at least they're fun when catching soft plastic lures I've made or modified and fish quality is 10-11.5".