Smithville Lake Crappie Regulation Change

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]

Joedog is in Business!!!!

Thought these would be Fitting here also.

Congratulations Eric, job well done! Wish I had thought of this 20 years ago when I couldn't get separate black and white crappie regulations through. I will do my part to reduce the black crappie numbers for sure. This will work best if folks throw back white crappie under 9" and take those 8-8 3/4" black crappie. I'm excited to see how this affects the crappie populations!

Just curious. I just looked at the new reg book online and it still said 9” and 15 for smithville?

I must have caught all Black Crappie last year because 2 percent of the Crappie I caught were over 9" :)

Seriously 1 in 50 sounds about right, including the ones I caught at the Marina when they opened it up to fishing. The guys that came in to the dock with a limit told me they had to catch 10 to get a keeper. Any day you catch 150 fish is a good day so I didn't see anyone complaining but all those little Crappie must have been doing some damage to the lake.

I mostly fished the upper lake outside of the marina so that explains some of my poor performance. I had heard that you need to fish the main lake to catch whites but I don't have a boat.

I will do my part but I'm not cleaning 30 8 inch Crappie. I'm sure someone will eat my share. Maybe I will give some away at the lake but I'm worried about the regulations.

Quote:

---

3 CSR 10-4.136 Giving Away WildlifePURPOSE: This rule establishes the provi-sions by which the taker may give wildlife toanother person. Wildlife legally taken and possessed may begiven to another only by the taker after com-pletion of the day’s fishing or hunt. Anywildlife given to another shall continue to beincluded in the daily limit of the taker for theday when taken. Wildlife, except deer andturkeys taken in Missouri, shall be labeled with the full name, address and permit num-ber of the taker, species and the date when taken.

---

I would really rather not give strangers my name and address. In the past I just handed fish to people that are not having any luck not realizing I was violating the regulations. Maybe I'm reading it wrong and transferring fish on the water is different than if you take them off the lake?

We threw back many many crappie right at or below 9 last year. The new regs won't change anything for me. Unless mama needs fish. I'll keep an eye out for Joedog.��