Crappie limits by state
Check before you keep a fish. These are statewide rules. Lakes, rivers and coastal zones often have their own limits, and rules can change during the year. Each state below has a link to its official rules.
- Free
- Official sources first
- Checked monthly
- Independent, not a state website
| State | Where | Size | Daily bag | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama Crappie |
Statewide | 9" minimum (10" on Weiss Reservoir) | 30 | – |
| The 9-inch minimum does not apply on impoundments under 500 acres and some named waters. Official source ADCNR official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Arizona Crappie |
Statewide | – | Unlimited | – |
| Secondary source: Arizona Fishing Regulations (eRegulations) AZGFD official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Arkansas Crappie |
Statewide | – | 30 | – |
| Official source AGFC official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| California Crappie and sunfish |
Statewide | No minimum (crappie 10" at Hodges and El Capitan lakes) | 25 in total, all species | Open all year |
| Barrett and Upper Otay lakes: none may be kept. Secondary source: California freshwater regulations booklet (eRegulations) CDFW official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Colorado older data Crappie |
Statewide | – | 20 in total | – |
| Note on this data: These limits come from a 2023 copy of Colorado's regulations, the newest we could check. Some may have changed since. Secondary source: Colorado fishing regulations (eRegulations) CPW official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Connecticut Panfish |
Statewide | No minimum | No limit | – |
| Official source CT DEEP official rules Checked Nov 5, 2026 | ||||
| Delaware Panfish (crappie, sunfish, yellow perch) |
Statewide | No size limit | 50 in total, no more than 25 of one species | All year |
| Secondary source: Delaware Fishing Guide (eRegulations edition) DNREC official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Florida Black crappie |
Statewide | No statewide limit; some waters have minimum or slot limits | 25 | – |
| Official source FWC official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Florida Panfish |
Statewide | No statewide limit | 50 in total | – |
| Official source FWC official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Georgia Crappie |
Statewide | – | 30 | – |
| Secondary source: Georgia sport fishing regulations (eRegulations) Georgia DNR official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Idaho Other fish (crappie, yellow perch, sunfish, catfish) |
All regions (general rules) | – | No bag, length or possession limit | All year |
| Some waters have special limits on these species. Official source234567 IDFG official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Illinois Crappie |
Statewide | No statewide limit | No statewide limit | – |
| Many lakes have their own crappie limits. Official source IDNR official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Indiana Crappie |
Statewide | No size limit (9 in at Dogwood and Hardy lakes) | 25 | All year |
| Indiana | Ohio River | No size limit | 30 | All year |
| Secondary source: Indiana Fishing Guide (eRegulations edition) Indiana DNR official rules Checked Nov 5, 2026 | ||||
| Iowa older data Crappie |
Inland waters | – | 25 (no possession limit) | All year |
| Iowa | Boundary rivers | – | 25 (possession 50) | All year |
| Note on this data: Size limits aren't shown: we couldn't confirm them from an official source. Bag limits and seasons are shown where we could. Many waters have exceptions (Iowa Admin. Code 571-81.2) not shown here, including length limits. Secondary source: Iowa Administrative Code 571-81.1 (Cornell Legal Information Institute) Iowa DNR official rules Checked Nov 5, 2026 | ||||
| Kansas Crappie |
Statewide | – | 50 | – |
| Official source KDWP official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Kentucky Crappie (black and white) |
Statewide | No statewide minimum | 20 in total | – |
| Possession limit 40. Many lakes, including Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, have their own rules. Official source KDFWR official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Louisiana Crappie (black and white) |
Statewide | No minimum | 50 | – |
| Possession 100. Lower Atchafalaya Basin from Aug 1, 2026: 8" minimum, 25 a day. Official source LDWF official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Maine Northern pike, crappie and other species not named in the general law |
General law | No minimum | No limit | – |
| Species not listed fall under 'inland species not listed', with no general bag or size limit. Individual waters may differ. Redfin pickerel: no fishing. Official source MDIFW official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Maryland Crappie |
Non-tidal waters | No minimum | 15 | – |
| Secondary source: Maryland fishing guide 2026 (eRegulations) Maryland DNR official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Massachusetts Sunfish, crappie, yellow perch and catfish |
Statewide | No minimum | No limit | Year-round |
| Covered by 'all other freshwater species', which has no limit. Official source MassWildlife official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Michigan Sunfish and crappie |
Statewide | No minimum | 25 in total | Open all year |
| Secondary source: Michigan fishing regulations (eRegulations) Michigan DNR official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Minnesota Crappie |
Statewide | – | 10 | – |
| Official source MN DNR official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Mississippi Crappie (black and white) |
Statewide | – | 30 in total | – |
| Many lakes have their own crappie size and creel limits. Official source MDWFP official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Missouri Crappie |
Statewide | None statewide (many lakes 9" to 10") | 30 (15 on many lakes) | – |
| Official source MDC official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Montana older data Crappie |
Central and Eastern districts | – | 15 (30 in possession) | – |
| Montana | Western District | – | No limit | – |
| Note on this data: These limits come from a 2023 copy of Montana's regulations, the newest we could check, and FWP has proposed changes. Some limits may now be different. Secondary source: Montana fishing regulations (eRegulations) FWP official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Nebraska Crappie, bluegill and other panfish (including yellow perch) |
Statewide | No minimum | 15 in total (30 in possession) | – |
| Official source Game and Parks official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Nevada Crappie |
Lake Mead and Lake Mohave | – | 15 | – |
| Elsewhere, check the regional and water-specific rules. Secondary source: Nevada Fishing Regulations 2026 (NDOW guide on eRegulations) NDOW official rules Checked Nov 5, 2026 | ||||
| New Hampshire Yellow perch, white perch, black crappie, sunfish and horned pout |
Statewide | – | 25 of each species, 50 in total | – |
| Secondary source: New Hampshire Fishing Digest 2026 (eRegulations) NH Fish and Game official rules Checked Nov 5, 2026 | ||||
| New Jersey Crappie |
Statewide | 8" minimum | 10 combined | All year |
| Secondary source: NJ Fish & Wildlife freshwater fishing digest 2026 (eRegulations) NJ Fish & Wildlife official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| New Mexico Crappie |
Statewide | No minimum | 20 | – |
| Official source NMDOW official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| New York Crappie (black and white) |
Statewide | 10" minimum | 25 | All year |
| Official source NYSDEC official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| North Carolina Crappie |
Statewide | No statewide minimum (8" on many named waters) | No statewide limit (20 on many named waters) | – |
| Secondary source: NC inland fishing regulations (eRegulations) NCWRC official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| North Dakota Crappie |
Statewide | No minimum | 10 (20 in possession) | – |
| Official source NDGF official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Ohio Crappie |
Statewide | No statewide limit; many inland lakes 9" minimum | No statewide limit; 30 at many inland lakes | – |
| Official source ODNR official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Oklahoma Crappie |
Statewide | No minimum | 37 in total | – |
| Official source ODWC official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Pennsylvania older data Sunfish, yellow perch, crappie, catfish and other panfish |
Statewide | No minimum | 50 combined | All year |
| Note on this data: Lake Erie, Presque Isle Bay and their tributaries aren't covered here: their limits differ from the inland rules shown. Panfish Enhancement waters have size limits. Figures from the 2025 summary; the Commission's 2026 book confirms the dates noted. Check the current summary book before fishing. Secondary source: Pennsylvania Fishing Summary (eRegulations, 2025 edition) PFBC official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Rhode Island Crappie, perch, sunfish, catfish and other freshwater fish |
Statewide | No minimum | No limit | No closed season |
| Listed by DEM as 'all other freshwater fish'. Local exceptions may apply. Official source2 RIDEM official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| South Carolina Crappie |
Statewide | 8" minimum | 20 | – |
| Secondary source: South Carolina hunting and fishing regulations 2026-27 (eRegulations) SCDNR official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| South Dakota Crappie |
Statewide | No minimum | 15 (possession 30) | – |
| Official source2 SD GFP official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Tennessee Crappie |
Statewide | 10" minimum | 15 in total | – |
| Tennessee | Region 1 exception waters | No minimum | 30 | – |
| Official source TWRA official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Texas Crappie |
Statewide | 10" minimum | 25 in total | – |
| Official source TPWD official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Utah Crappie (black and white) |
Statewide | No statewide minimum | 50 combined | – |
| Secondary source: Utah Fishing Guidebook (eRegulations) Utah DWR official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Vermont Panfish (yellow perch, crappie, sunfish, bullhead) |
Statewide | Crappie 8"; others no minimum | 50 panfish in total, no more than 25 crappie | All year |
| Secondary source: Vermont Fishing Regulations 2026-27 (eRegulations) Vermont Fish & Wildlife official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Virginia Crappie (black and white) |
Statewide | No statewide minimum | 25 combined | – |
| Several lakes have 9" or 10" minimums (e.g. Kerr, Flannagan, South Holston). Official source DWR / VMRC official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Washington Crappie, yellow perch and sunfish |
Statewide | No minimum | No limit | – |
| Some lakes have their own limits. Secondary source: Washington Sport Fishing Rules 2026 (eRegulations edition) WDFW official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| West Virginia Crappie, bluegill and other sunfish |
Statewide | No minimum | 30 in aggregate with other game fish (possession 60) | – |
| Some lakes have separate limits. Official source WVDNR official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Wisconsin older data Panfish (bluegill, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, crappie) |
Statewide | No minimum on most waters | 25 total | – |
| Note on this data: Only statewide daily bag limits are shown. Size limits, and many bag limits, are set lake by lake, so they aren't listed here. Some lakes have lower panfish limits. Official source WDNR official rules Checked Nov 4, 2026 | ||||
| Wyoming Crappie, yellow perch and sunfish (including rock bass) |
Statewide | No statewide size limit | 50 combined (with black bullhead, stonecat and freshwater drum) | – |
| Secondary source: 2026 Wyoming Fishing Regulations (eRegulations edition) WGFD official rules Checked Nov 5, 2026 | ||||