Black Crappie in Illinois
Digest rows, record weight and lakes holding Illinois black crappie.
- no daily caplimit
- 4 lbs 8 ozrecord
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Illinois black crappie, the short version
Illinois puts black crappie on the row the digest prints as "Crappie (White, Black or Hybrid Crappie)". Quoting the first sentence: "There are no daily harvest or size limits, except as specified under Site Specific Regulations." Fish grouped on that row count toward one shared figure where a cap exists.
The Illinois hook and line record stands at 4 lbs 8 oz, from Rend Lake in 1976. It appears on 96 Illinois lake and river pages; Rend Lake, Lake Shelbyville and Clinton Lake come first. The table records 1,079,743 released into 10 waters.
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| Row as printed | Daily | Size |
|---|---|---|
| Crappie (White, Black or Hybrid Crappie) | no limit | no size limit |
There are no daily harvest or size limits, except as specified under Site Specific Regulations.
IDNR 2026 Illinois Fishing Information digest (IDNR) page 10, read November 4, 2026.
The Illinois record black crappie
| Division | Weight | Water | County | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hook and line | 4 lbs 8 oz | Rend Lake | Franklin County | May 15, 1976 |
IDNR Illinois state record fish list (keeper: Illinois Department of Natural Resources; no angler names printed), read November 4, 2026.
Hatchery black crappie, water by water
| Year | Water as listed | Number | Size class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Newton Lake | 30,839 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
| 2025 | Newton Lake | 79,830 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
| 2025 | Powerton Lake | 67,795 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
| 2025 | Illinois River – Peoria Pool | 20,892 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
| 2025 | Illinois River – Starved Rock Pool | 20,892 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
| 2025 | Powerton Lake | 15,377 | Advanced Fingerling (4 – 7") |
| 2025 | Monee Reservoir | 2,500 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
| 2024 | Baldwin Lake | 49,226 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
| 2024 | Heidecke Lake | 45,021 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
| 2024 | Newton Lake | 41,960 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
| 2024 | Clinton Lake | 12,860 | Advanced Fingerling (4 – 7") |
| 2024 | Clinton Lake | 8,068 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
| 2024 | Monee Reservoir | 2,200 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
| 2023 | Newton Lake | 86,284 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
IDNR fish stocking table on ifishillinois.org (year, water, species, size class and number as listed; no stocking dates published), read November 4, 2026.
black crappie ratings from IDNR surveys
| Lake | IDNR rating | County |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Patterson | Excellent | Kane County |
| Horton Lake | Excellent | Hancock County |
| Busse Lake (FPDCC) | Good | Cook County |
| Prairie Lake (JEPCFWA) | Good | Cass County |
| Diamond Lake | Good | Lake County |
| Lincoln Trail Lake | Good | Clark County |
| Independence Grove Lake (LCFPD) | Good | Lake County |
| Hastings Lake (LCFPD) | Good | Lake County |
| Sterling Lake (LCFPD) | Good | Lake County |
| Walnut Point Lake | Good | Douglas County |
| Ramsey Lake (RLSP) | Good | Fayette County |
| Boulder Lake (Pyramid State Park) | Good | Perry County |
| Long Cut Lake (DuQuoin Fairgrounds) | Good | Perry County |
| Wesseln Lake (Pyramid State Park) | Good | Perry County |
| Weldon Springs | Good | DeWitt County |
| Lake Victoria (SHFWA) | Good | Knox County |
| Mt. Sterling Lake | Good | Brown County |
| Mud Lake | Good | DuPage County |
| Des Plaines Lake (LCFPD) | Good | Lake County |
| Gadwall Lake (Pyramid State Park) | Good | Perry County |
IDNR fishing outlook ratings and survey notes as printed on the IFishIllinois page, read November 4, 2026.
Illinois spots worth a trip for black crappie
Still water for black crappie
- Rend Lake18,900 acres
- Lake Shelbyville11,100 acres
- Clinton Lake4,895 acres
- Thompson Lake (Emiquon)4,000 acres
- Kinkaid Lake2,750 acres
- Baldwin Lake2,018 acres
- Heidecke Lake1,955 acres
- Newton Lake1,750 acres
- Powerton Lake1,426 acres
- Hennepin-Hopper LakesPutnam County
- Coffeen Lake1,102 acres
- Busse Lake (FPDCC)Cook County
- Wolf Lake380 acres
- McCullom Lake244 acres
- Island Lake (Burning Star)216 acres
- Prairie Lake (JEPCFWA)Cass County
- Gillespie New City Lake196 acres
- Lake McMaster (SHFWA)Knox County
- Dawson Lake (MVSRA)161 acres
- Diamond Lake153 acres
- Pierce LakeWinnebago County
- Goldeneye Lake (Pyramid State Park)140 acres
- Lincoln Trail Lake137 acres
- Independence Grove Lake (LCFPD)110 acres
Streams listing black crappie
- Illinois River, Peoria PoolMarshall County
- Illinois River, Starved Rock PoolLaSalle County
- Mississippi River, Pool 13Carroll County
- Mississippi River, Pool 12Jo Daviess County
- Mississippi River, Pool 14Rock Island County
- Mississippi River, Pool 15Rock Island County
- Mississippi River, Pool 16Rock Island County
- Mississippi River, Pool 17Mercer County
IDNR IFishIllinois outlook ratings and species lists, the IDNR stocking table and IDNR record waters; largest waters first.
Fish sharing a row with Illinois black crappie
- White Crappieno daily cap
Prairie lakes and river bottoms near Black Crappie, photographed
Photo: uptowner, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Tripp, CC BY 2.0
Photo: D.L, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
Land of Lincoln questions on black crappie
Which digest row limits black crappie?
It allows no limit; no size limit. Local digest entries override it where printed.
When was the Illinois black crappie record set?
It weighed 4 lbs 8 oz; Rend Lake, 1976. IDNR leaves the angler unnamed.
What Illinois lake should I try for black crappie?
Rend Lake, Lake Shelbyville and Clinton Lake head a list of 96 Illinois pages.
Which Illinois waters change the black crappie rule?
None of the site-specific entries mention it by name; all-fish gear rules still apply.
Does IDNR stock black crappie?
IDNR listed 1,079,743 in 10 waters, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026.
What paperwork does IDNR require for black crappie?
Anglers 16 and older carry an Illinois fishing license ($15 a year for residents, $31.50 for nonresidents in 2026).
Can a bowfished black crappie set an Illinois record?
One division for hook and line, one for bow and arrow. This fish holds 1 record row.
Do IDNR surveys rate black crappie anywhere?
IDNR rates it on 80 lakes; Lake Patterson gets excellent.
Set out for Illinois black crappie
Every lake linked above lists its piers and docks.