Black Crappie
Pomoxis nigromaculatus
25 black and white crappie combined daily, including hybrids/subspecies; 10-inch minimum.
Identify your catch
Irregular dark speckling and usually seven or eight dorsal spines distinguish black crappie from white crappie.
Habitat on Lake Livingston
Turbid water, a major river channel and tributary creeks.
Fishing approach
White bass: spring tributaries. Striped bass: spoons or live shad near the US 190 bridge. Bass: northern bays and creeks in spring/fall. Blue/channel catfish: organic or live baits along channels.
Fishing guidance describes documented approaches, not a promise of fish activity today.
This species is not named in the active lake advisory. That does not establish that the fish is safe to eat.
Harvest permission and eating restrictions are separate.
General species guide
Uses lakes, ponds and slow water, often near submerged cover.
General Black Crappie profile →Sources & lake evidence
Occurrence documented in the TPWD lake guide, fisheries survey or historical records. Historical evidence does not establish present abundance. Current harvest rules were checked separately from older survey regulations.
Lake harvest rules ↗Eating guidance ↗Lake habitat & fishing guide ↗Fisheries survey · species evidence ↗Species identification ↗