What Types of Crappie Are in Arizona?

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Who knows what about the different types of crappie we have in Arizona?  What type of crappie a blacknose crappie?  Where can you find white, hybrid, or magnolia crappie in Arizona?  Best answer gets mentioned in our next newsletter!

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Crappie in Arizona: Species, Identification, and Stocking History

In Arizona, there are two species of crappie you can catch: black crappie and white crappie.

The primary species found in most Arizona lakes—including Alamo, Bartlett, Lake Pleasant, Roosevelt, Patagonia, Lake Powell, and others—is the black crappie. This includes the blacknose crappie commonly caught in Bartlett and Roosevelt Lakes. Blacknose crappie in Arizona are still black crappie; they simply have a natural genetic marker that produces the distinctive black stripe along their back. These fish were introduced through stocking efforts by the Arizona Game & Fish Department (AZGFD). They are not hybrids or Magnolia crappie—just a strain of black crappie.

The other species, white crappie, is currently only found in Lake Pleasant. It is unknown when or how white crappie were introduced there. They were also present in the San Carlos Reservoir prior to the 2018 fish kill, though their origin there is also unknown.
If you catch a white crappie in any Arizona lake besides Lake Pleasant, please share a picture.

How to Tell the Difference
The most accurate way to distinguish between black and white crappie is by counting dorsal spines:
    • Black crappie: 7–8 dorsal spines
    • White crappie: 5–6 dorsal spines
Additional visual differences:
    • Black crappie: darker, random speckling with a deeper body
    • White crappie: vertical bars with a more elongated, slender shape

Stocking and Sourcing
The Arizona Game and Fish Department has explored stocking white crappie but has had difficulty sourcing them. Their current supplier for black crappie is Mr. Fish Transport out of Arkansas.

Hybrid Crappie
Hybrid crappie are not a separate species. They are a genetic cross between black and white crappie, producing an F1 (first-generation) hybrid. These can occur naturally and are typically not sterile, though they have reduced fertility and lower reproduction rates.

If any natural hybrids exist in Arizona, they would most likely be found in Lake Pleasant, though they are expected to be rare. If you catch one, please share a picture.

Magnolia Crappie
Magnolia crappie are a hatchery-produced, sterile (triploid) hybrid created by crossing a male blacknose black crappie with a female white crappie. They are produced in controlled environments using pressure-treated eggs.

About 60% of Magnolia crappie display a prominent black stripe from the dorsal fin over the head to the lip, which can lead to confusion with naturally occurring blacknose crappie. However, Magnolia crappie are not present in Arizona.

If you catch one in another state, please share a picture.

Recent Crappie Stocking History (AZGFD)
    • 2016 – Tempe Town Lake
    • 2017 – Tempe Town Lake
    • 2017 – Roosevelt – 10,000
    • March 2019 – Bartlett & Roosevelt – 11,000
    • March 2021 – Bartlett – 14,000
    • March 2021 – Roosevelt – 14,000
    • March 2022 – Bartlett – 30,000
    • March 2022 – Roosevelt – 75,000
    • Feb 2023 – Bartlett – 10,000
    • Feb 2023 – Roosevelt – 10,000
    • March 2023 – San Carlos
    • May 2024 – Roosevelt – 20,000
    • May 2024 – Bartlett – 10,000
    • March 2025 – Bartlett – 10,000
    • March 2025 – Roosevelt – 10,000
    • March 2026 – Bartlett – 10,000
    • March 2026 – Roosevelt – 10,000

Walleye Stocking
Many crappie anglers also enjoy targeting walleye. Recent stockings include:
    • June 2022 – Apache & Canyon – 1.5 million walleye
    • 2024 – Apache, Canyon, and Saguaro – walleye

If you catch a walleye in Arizona, please share a picture and the lake where it was caught.

Learn More
To learn more about the Arizona Crappie Association:
    • Website: https://azcrappie.com
    • FAQ: https://azcrappie.com/contact/
    • Community Forum: https://forum.azcrappie.com/