black crappie
Pomoxis nigromaculatus · Centrarchidae · predator
Freshwater fish from North America, introduced to Mexico and Panama, reaching 49 cm. It is sought in sport fishing and lives among vegetation.
Also called: crápi-negro, mojarra negra, black crappie
- maximum
- 49 cm
- record/max.
- 2.7 kg
the right time
to be on the water
Choose the place and the species. The index, from 0 to 100, combines weather, sun, moon and tide with each fish's habits. Up to 28 days, with each day's confidence.
Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…
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hour by hour
tap or drag on the chart to read each hour · on a keyboard, arrow keyssee hour-by-hour table
why this index at —?
choose the day
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
the fishing month at a glance
what's the best window for the crew?
Choose how many fishing days. We compare each stretch by its average index, discount days with a warning or closed season, and show the 3 best.
trend for the coming weeks
Line: the middle value of 31 simulations of the American GEFS model. Band: where 8 out of 10 fall. Narrow, firm trend; wide, high uncertainty.
everything about the black crappie
who is the black crappie
The black crappie is a fish of the family Centrarchidae and reaches 49 cm and 2.7 kg. Its native range is hard to pin down, because the species was heavily introduced in the United States, but it occurs in lakes, ponds and river backwaters. In Mexico and Panama it is exotic. It forms schools and lives among vegetation, over mud or sand, preferably in clear water. Adults eat small fish, and young ones eat small crustaceans and insect larvae. Males build and guard the nests. It is sought in sport fishing and also appears in commercial fishing.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the black crappie; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Males guard the eggs for about 5 days.
identification
Deep-bodied, laterally compressed fish with a large mouth, with the typical shape of crappies and other centrarchids. To tell it apart from the white crappie, which occurs in the same region, look at the habitat: the black crappie is more common in clear water, while the white crappie is usually in turbid water.
where found
Native to North America; in Mexico and Panama it was introduced and is exotic.
Habitat: Lakes, ponds and river backwaters, with vegetation and a mud or sand bottom.
when to fish
best time of day
Nighttime. The source says it feeds at dawn, between midnight and 2 a.m.
rules for the black crappie
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
The fin spines can injure: handle with care and release quickly, without keeping it out of the water for long.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01072, b = 3.06; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Pomoxis nigromaculatus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Pomoxis nigromaculatusNames by country and language.
similar species
where each number comes from
The weather comes from three independent global models, cross-checked hour by hour: when they agree, confidence goes up; when they diverge, the band between them shows on the chart. Beyond 16 days, we use the GEFS ensemble of 31 simulations: if 20 of the 31 predict rain, the chance of rain is 65%. Sun and moon are calculated astronomically, with no uncertainty.
The index adds up, weighted for each species: time of day (species curve anchored to real sunrise and sunset), moon (transits, rise and set, phase), pressure (3 h trend and 24 h swing), water temperature (in rivers, estimated from air temperature; at sea, estimated by an ocean model), wind, rain, clouds, tide and the month in the species' cycle.
sources for this lookup
how accurate the forecast is
Accuracy measured in the reference project (4 regions, 93 days, forecast vs. observed): maximum temperature is off by 0.6 °C on average the next day and 1.7 °C at 7 days; rain of 5 mm or more is detected 76% of the time the next day and 57% at 7 days. Detection isn't everything: the false alarm rate isn't published here yet, and 93 days in 4 regions is still a small sample. We now also measure every day, at the app's destinations: