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TALE WATERS & TIDES · POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
COMMON

Black Crappie

SCOUT46SCORE
LAKE GREESON
Scout & adapt

Paper-mouthed, school-schooled, skillet-bound.

SIZE
8–12 in
MAX
16 in
WEIGHT
Up to 3 lbs
HABITAT
LakesReservoirsOxbows
Standing timber, brush piles, dock pilings.
DIET
Minnows, small shad, aquatic insects.
BEST BAITS
Minnows under a float · Jigs on light line · Tiny spinners
SEASONAL PATTERN
BEST🌱SPRING
☀️SUMMER
🍂FALL
❄️WINTER
Summer: Suspend over deep brush piles.
ANGLER INTEL · RIGHT NOWSCOUT & ADAPT
DEPTH
20–30 ft
thermocline / deep ledges
TIMING
Dawn & last light only
TOP LURE · LIVE
Jigs on light line
slow day — give them an easy meal
TACKLE
Ultralight or 10–12' crappie pole, 4–6 lb line
TECHNIQUE · Deep crankbait on ledges at dawn
ANGLER STATS
SPAWN 56–68°F
BITE
70
FIGHT
42
STEALTH
60
FUN FACT
Black crappie love clearer water than their white cousins. Side-by-side in the same lake, they'll hold deeper and tighter to cover.
STATUS
Secure
Native · Centrarchidae
LIVE PFG SIGNAL82°F · Lake Maumelle● SCOUT 46
YOUR CARD · ACTIONSNOT YET COLLECTED
🪪 ID marks
  • Random black speckles
  • 7–8 dorsal spines
  • Deep body
💡 Tips
  • Count down to depth
  • Move until you find the school
  • Vertical on brush

🌙 Lunar profile

MED-HIGH Lunar ImpactBest phases: Full Moon, New Moon
☀️ Daytime
Clearer water preference — target submerged grass edges and brush in 6–12 ft. Full Moon concentrates spawning in spring.
🌙 Nighttime
Night biting under lights near Full Moon. Favors slightly deeper structure than White Crappie after dark.
🔗 Source: AGFC Crappie management; species-specific solunar studies

Where to catch

Greers Ferry Laketrophy
JigsMinnowsDrop Shot
One of the top crappie lakes in Arkansas. Brush piles and dock fishing productive.

Regulations

Always verify current rules at agfc.com before keeping fish.

Statewide
Statewide Crappie Regulations — Arkansas
Daily limit: 30Min size: 10"
Requires: Fishing License
Statewide — all public waters in Arkansas
AGFC source ↗