HABITAT

The black crappie covers so wide a range that it has many local names -- calico bass and speckled bass being quite common. It prefers clear, weedy lakes and large streams. Essentially, it is a fish of quiet waters. It is not common in deep, rocky lakes, preferring larger streams and medium-sized bodies of water.

Distribution

Black crappie are adaptable to almost any waters with the exception of salt water. They spread so fast that ichthyologists have a hard time keeping up with them. It makes it almost impossible to map out their range accurately.

In Canada, they inhabit waters from southern Manitoba through northwestern, central, and southern Ontario, including all the Great Lakes. From here they range into the St. Lawrence and into portions of Quebec. In the United States, its introduction into new waters has helped it spread across a vast range. Its prime area runs from its Canadian range through central United States to the eastern seaboard and south to Florida and Texas.

In the west, a small population is known to inhabit waters south of British Columbia, but in years to come who knows how far these prolific breeders will spread.

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