LAKE MARTHA FIELD GUIDE · RESIDENT SCHOOLING FISH
Black crappie.
Pomoxis nigromaculatus
KNOW YOUR CATCH
How to find and
recognize this fish.
A deep, compressed body covered in irregular dark speckles, with seven or eight sharp spines in the dorsal fin.
Suspend a 1/16-ounce marabou jig or small minnow below a float and twitch it slowly around cover without burying it in snags.
01 Where it lives +
Quiet water around vegetation, fallen wood, boulders, dock shade, and suspended schools near cover.
02 When to fish +
The bite builds through spring and is strongest around spawning time. Early morning is a favored daily window.
03 What it eats +
Small crappie eat planktonic crustaceans and insect larvae; larger fish feed primarily on small fish.
04 How it behaves +
Crappie school in clear water and relate closely to cover. Their depth can change quickly with light and temperature.
05 Handle with care +
Support the body, watch the dorsal spines, and use light tackle so the fish can be landed without a long fight.
KEEP READING
The official
field notes.
Species details are grounded in U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service information. Lake presence and seasonal prospects come from Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife species profile ↗WDFW Lake Martha report ↗MORE IN THE LAKE
