• Characteristics - silvery with a dark back and green or blackish mottling on the sides; "hump-backed" with 7-8 spines in the dorsal fin; most of those caught by anglers are 8-12 inches in length
• Distribution - statewide; rare in western Iowa
• Foods - small fish, aquatic insects and their larvae
• State Record - "crappie" record 4 pounds, 9 ounces - Green Castle Lake, Marshall County, May 1981 - Ted Trowbridge, Marshalltown, Iowa
• Expert's Tip - fish in brushy areas, if you aren't getting snagged often, you aren't fishing where the fish are!

For more black crappie information, see our printable pdf (113K) or Iowa Fish & Fishing.