Black Crappie in New York
DEC limits, the record and water for black crappie.
- 25; minimum 10"limit
- 4 lb 1 ozrecord
Pick for black crappiePiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo of the species, not a New York water: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
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New York black crappie in brief
DEC files black crappie under freshwater fish, and the 2026 rule tables touch it in 3 rule tables. Where statewide applies, anglers keep 25; minimum 10″ during all year.
A 4 lb 1 oz fish from Lake Flavia (2018) heads the state record table. Look for it on 99 of the water pages below.
DEC’s beginner guide gives the usual size as 8-12 in./ grow to 18 in. Crappie, also called strawberry bass and calico bass, are most commonly caught when they congregate in shallow water to spawn in the spring. They seek deeper, cooler water during the summer.
Size note and fact from the DEC I FISH NY beginner guide (I FISH NY Beginners' Guide to Freshwater Fishing, Chapter 1 Fishes of New York (DEC, 2016)).
For the black crappie herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 Every DEC rule row for New York black crappie
| Rule table | Where | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide inland waters | Statewide | 25; minimum 10" | All year |
| Lake Champlain | Lake Champlain and tributaries to the first impassable barrier | 25; minimum 8" | open all year |
| Greenwood Lake | Greenwood Lake | 10; minimum 8" | All year |
2026 DEC freshwater fishing regulations web pages (NYS Department of Environmental Conservation), read October 24, 2026; figures checked twice on October 25, 2026.
Record weights for New York black crappie
| Entry | Weight | Angler | Water | County | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crappie, Black | 4 lb 1 oz | William Wightman | Lake Flavia | Cattaraugus | May 6, 2018 |
DEC state record fish table, DEC Current NY State Record Fish table, as of December 10, 2025; retrieved October 24, 2026.
Tracking down black crappie in New York
Lake pages for black crappie
- Lake Champlain277,117 acres
- Cayuga Lake42,910 acres
- Great Sacandaga Lake24,910 acres
- Chautauqua Lake13,304 acres
- Keuka Lake11,667 acres
- Black Lake7,856 acres
- Cranberry Lake6,909 acres
- Cannonsville Reservoir4,718 acres
- Schroon Lake4,257 acres
- Conesus Lake3,206 acres
- Salmon River Reservoir2,900 acres
- Otisco Lake2,266 acres
- Hemlock Lake2,074 acres
- Cross Lake1,999 acres
- Canadarago Lake1,936 acres
- Honeoye Lake1,796 acres
- Tomhannock Reservoir1,709 acres
- Brant Lake1,522 acres
- Lake Bonaparte1,416 acres
- Muscoot Reservoir1,163 acres
- Schoharie Reservoir1,159 acres
- Whitney Point Lake1,150 acres
- Swinging Bridge Reservoir885 acres
- Silver Lake, Wyoming County863 acres
River pages for black crappie
- Mohawk RiverOneida County
- Hudson RiverSaratoga County
- Oswegatchie RiverHerkimer County
- Seneca RiverCayuga County
- Oswego RiverOswego County
- Grass RiverSt. Lawrence County
- Indian River, Lewis CountyLewis County
- Saint Regis RiverFranklin County
- Perch RiverJefferson County
- Oneida RiverOnondaga County
- Eighteen Mile Creek, Niagara CountyNiagara County
- Saranac RiverClinton County
DEC Recommended Fishing Lakes and Rivers lists, DEC trout reaches, stocking lists and state records; largest waters first.
Fish grouped with black crappie in New York
- Largemouth Bassfreshwater
- Smallmouth Bassfreshwater
- Rock Bassfreshwater
- White Bassfreshwater
- Walleyefreshwater
- Saugerfreshwater
- Northern Pikefreshwater
- Chain Pickerelfreshwater
- Muskellungefreshwater
- Tiger Muskellungefreshwater
- Yellow Perchfreshwater
- White Crappiefreshwater
Camera views of lakes and streams around Black Crappie
Photo: Mike Peel ( www.mikepeel.net ), CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: See1,Do1,Teach1, CC BY 2.0
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Photo: dans362, CC BY 3.0
Photo: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
Things to know before targeting Black crappie statewide
What can a New York angler take home in black crappie?
25; minimum 10" under statewide, season all year; other tables set their own figures.
Does DEC keep a record for black crappie?
4 lb 1 oz from Lake Flavia, caught by William Wightman (May 6, 2018).
Which New York waters hold black crappie?
99 water pages here list it, starting with Lake Champlain, Cayuga Lake and Great Sacandaga Lake.
Are black crappie stocked in New York?
The hatchery lists skip it.
Which category do black crappie fall under?
Freshwater on the DEC list.
During which months can New Yorkers keep black crappie?
All year under statewide.
Do out-of-state visitors need a license for black crappie?
Anglers 16 and older need a DEC freshwater fishing license: $25.00 a year for residents, $50.00 for nonresidents, $5.00 for residents 70 and older, with 1-day and 7-day options.
How fresh is the black crappie information?
From the 2026 DEC regulation pages and the state record table, read October 24, 2026 and checked again October 25, 2026.
Go after New York black crappie
Pick a lake or stream above and read its rules first.