White Crappie
Pomoxis annularis
- Look for 5–10 dark vertical bars running down the sides. These bars are the clearest sign you have a white crappie, not a black crappie which has random scattered spots instead.
- Count the spines on the dorsal fin. White crappie have 6 spines, while black crappie have 7 or 8, making this a reliable way to tell them apart in hand.
- The body is silvery with green or brown shading along the back and a bright white belly, giving it a clean two-toned look.
- The dorsal fin sits farther back on the body compared to a black crappie, and the anal fin is roughly the same size as the dorsal fin.