White Crappie in Illinois
Where white crappie swim in Illinois, and what may be kept.
- no daily caplimit
- 4 lbs 7 ozrecord
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Sizing up Illinois white crappie
The statewide digest line that governs white crappie is titled "Crappie (White, Black or Hybrid Crappie)". First words of the row: "There are no daily harvest or size limits, except as specified under Site Specific Regulations." A capped row like that is filled by its fish combined.
In 1973, Farm Pond produced the hook and line record of 4 lbs 7 oz. 26 pages across Illinois carry it, Lake Shelbyville, Clinton Lake and Thompson Lake (Emiquon) among them. IDNR hatcheries put 44,060 into 1 water, per the stocking table.
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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.
Heaviest white crappie on the Illinois list
| Division | Weight | Water | County | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hook and line | 4 lbs 7 oz | Farm Pond | Morgan (MRGN) County | April 8, 1973 |
IDNR Illinois state record fish list (keeper: Illinois Department of Natural Resources; no angler names printed), read November 4, 2026.
white crappie released into Illinois water
| Year | Water as listed | Number | Size class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Clinton Lake | 44,060 | 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.
IDNR outlook grades for white crappie
| Lake | IDNR rating | County |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Shelbyville | Excellent | Moultrie County |
| Silver Lake (Highland) | Excellent | Madison County |
| Lake Taylorville | Good | Christian County |
| Lake Lou Yeager | Good | Montgomery County |
| Spring Lake (McDonough County) | Good | McDonough County |
| West Frankfort New City Lake | Good | Franklin County |
| Pierce Lake | Good | Winnebago County |
| Lake Vermilion | Fair | Vermilion County |
| Forbes Lake (SFSP) | Fair | Marion County |
| Little Cache Lake (a.k.a. Bowman Lake) | Fair | Johnson County |
| Island Lake (Burning Star) | Poor | Jackson County |
| Thompson Lake (Emiquon) | Average | Fulton County |
| Otter Lake | Very Good | Macoupin County |
| Gillespie New City Lake | Very Good | Macoupin County |
| Lake Paradise | Average | Coles County |
| Mt. Olive New City Lake | Very Good | Macoupin County |
| Bass Lake (Mazonia 3) | Average | Grundy County |
| Lake Milliken | Average | Will County |
| Roodhouse Park Lake | Average | Greene County |
IDNR fishing outlook ratings and survey notes as printed on the IFishIllinois page, read November 4, 2026.
Prairie State pages naming white crappie
Impounded Illinois water holding white crappie
- Lake Shelbyville11,100 acres
- Clinton Lake4,895 acres
- Thompson Lake (Emiquon)4,000 acres
- Lake Taylorville1,286 acres
- Lake Lou Yeager1,268 acres
- Lake Vermilion900 acres
- Otter Lake765 acres
- Forbes Lake (SFSP)585 acres
- Silver Lake (Highland)550 acres
- Spring Lake (McDonough County)McDonough County
- Island Lake (Burning Star)216 acres
- West Frankfort New City Lake214 acres
- Gillespie New City Lake196 acres
- Pierce LakeWinnebago County
- Lake Paradise138 acres
- Mt. Olive New City LakeMacoupin County
- Bass Lake (Mazonia 3)28 acres
- Lake Milliken25 acres
- Little Cache Lake (a.k.a. Bowman Lake)21 acres
- Roodhouse Park Lake10 acres
Current with white crappie
- 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.
Illinois fish close to white crappie
- Black Crappieno daily cap
Camera views of the water by White Crappie
Photo: Richie Diesterheft, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Alan Light, CC BY 2.0
Photo: David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
Photo: David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
Illinois anglers ask about white crappie
How many white crappie may I keep in Illinois?
IDNR prints no limit, with no size limit. Site-specific entries can be stricter on a given water.
How heavy is the Illinois white crappie record?
4 lbs 7 oz, landed at Farm Pond in 1973. The list names no angler.
Where do white crappie live in Illinois?
Try Lake Shelbyville, Clinton Lake and Thompson Lake (Emiquon), out of 26.
Are there site-specific rules for white crappie?
It has no named local entry; each water's all-fish rules still hold.
Do Illinois hatcheries raise white crappie?
Yes: 44,060 across 1 water in 2023.
Is one IDNR license enough for white crappie?
Anglers 16 and older carry an Illinois fishing license ($15 a year for residents, $31.50 for nonresidents in 2026).
Which record divisions does IDNR keep for white crappie?
The list has a hook and line side and a bow and arrow side. It has 1 record row.
Where does IDNR rate white crappie best?
Lake Shelbyville shows excellent; 19 lakes carry a grade.
Go after Illinois white crappie
Pick one of those Illinois waters and its page lays out the launches.