World record crappie 2024
Sharing is caring!
Updated: January 202
4
Here they are, the state record crappies caught in 48 of our 50 states in one easy chart you’ll find below.
The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) has certified two of the state bests as world records for black crappie and white crappie, making the United States the top place on the planet to catch huge slab crappie.
Crappie are one of the most popular panfish in the country, thanks both to their scrappiness on the water and their tastiness on the table. We have a bit more information on crappie at the bottom of this article, below the records table.
We’ve assembled the 48 state records kept across America, so you can easily check on states where you fish or perhaps find locations where these panfish grow to exceptional sizes.
By the way, only Alaska and Hawaii don’t keep game fish records for crappie, which are among the most popular panfish in America.
Crappies fare best in waters that may cool down in winter but warm up enough to spawn and forage starting in the late winter to spring.
World Record Crappie
The world record black crappie is a reasonably new record.
Lionel “Jam” Ferg
Catching the world record crappie, whether it’s white or black, is one of the most sought-after panfish prizes in North America. A 1-pound crappie is considered a nice catch. A 1 1/2-pounder is a
really
something. And anything over 2 pounds is one to brag about. Most states include crappies in their record-fish lists, but documenting the heftiest of the nation’s big crappies can be a daunting task.
Fact-Checking State and World Record Crappie
Records on the state and even national level are not always rock-solid, especially older records. Certified weigh scales, verifiable witnesses to the catch, accurate measurements, and cameras were not as readily available as they are today. Considering that some of the biggest fish recorded were caught decades ago, many are not documented by photo, and some that may be listed as state records are a bit thin on verifiable catch documentation.
For example, the largest record black crappie touted by many sources is a 6-pounder taken in Louisiana in November 1969 by Lettie Robertson. At one time, the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) considered the catch a world record. But no photos of the fish are available, and other informatio
The Biggest Crappies Ever Caught
Sign up for the Quick Strike Newsletter
The hottest fishing news, tips, and tactics
Whether you call them crappies or croppies, or freckles, specks, or papermouths, white and black crappies have enticed America’s anglers since the advent of cane fishing poles. Their allure isn’t necessarily because of the incredible fight they put up or the degree of difficulty in catching them. It is mainly because these prolific fish are so darn tasty. Their mild, white, flaky flesh was seemingly created for the frying pan.
Which makes one wonder: How many crappies would have made the record books had they been measured instead of filleted?
All About Crappies
There are two subspecies of crappie native to North America. They are members of the black bass family, and both are noted in the record books.
The black crappie (
Pomoxis nigromaculatus
) is native to most of the eastern United States, but it has been stocked so extensively in lakes and ponds that it is now found almost nationwide and in a few Canadian provinces. Its cousin, the white crappie (
Pomoxis annularis
), is generally lighter in color and has vertical, black stripes. A
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A man in West Virginia caught a record-breaking black crappie fish..
A black crappie weighing nearly 4 pounds was caught in West Virginia, breaking the state's weight record, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources said on Monday.
Jerry Porter — of Harts, West Virginia — made the record-setting weight catch of 3.6 pounds and 17.7 inches at East Lynn Lake in Wayne County, officials said.
Porter broke the previous record of 3.15 pounds and 17.76 inches set in 2024 by Dwight Priestley of Alum Creek, West Virginia, at Woodrum Lake in Jackson County. Priestley's record for length still stands.
Porter used a minnow-tipped jig on a 6-pound test line, and biologist Jake Whalen confirmed the catch.
The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources said it has confirmed three state record catches this year, including a nearly 25-pound redhorse sucker fish.
Fishing in West Virginia
Anglers 15 years and older in West Virginia must have a fishing license.
The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources is in charge of keeping track of records for the largest fish of each game species by length and weight ca