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| Black Crappie |
Crappie are related to sunfish but grow larger, around 30cm or more. The White Crappie in and around Rondeau Bay, is more tolerant of murky water. On average, adults weigh about a kilogram and can live for up to seven years. They feed on minnows and invertebrates, like insects and crayfish. They spawn in May an June when the water temperature reaches 13.3 C (56F). As with other sunfish, eggs are laid in shallow bowl nests, constructed by the males, to attract females. The male will then protect thousands of hatchlings in underwater snags of fallen tree limbs and branches, especially willow. Tree limbs that fall into the channels and soft, grassy banks are ideal nesting habitat and essential for the young. Crappie can grow three to five inches long during their first year and up to eight inches long at the end of their second year.