A crappie belt roughly includes a region from West Texas and Colorado on the western edge, south of a line running from Nebraska through northcentral Minnesota, eastward through Ohio and veering southeast to Virginia, then along the eastern coastline through southern Florida, and west along the Gulf Coast back to Texas.

Anglers in this area rank crappies among the top three preferred species. Here, crappie clubs and associations commonly sponsor tournaments on productive lakes, and sales of crappie tackle overshadow all other purchases except for bass gear. Meanwhile, resource agencies are at work balancing the concerns of anglers interested in trophy crappies with those who would rather harvest large numbers of fish.

As one might expect, crappie anglers are a diverse group that varies regionally and covers all ages. Most times, you don’t need fancy tackle or a lot of patience to catch crappies. Top anglers have, however, proven that crappie fish can be taken to a higher level, catching fish in the most difficult conditions. In-Fisherman staff members have traveled the country, doing TV shows and writing books and articles about advanced crappie-fishing techniques. No surprise, the books in our Critical Concepts series on crappie fishing are among our most popular.

We’re going to take you on a quick trip around the country, reviewing the state of the crappie union as we see it.

Southeast and Midwest: In the Southeast and parts of the Midwest like Kansas, Ohio, and Illinois, full-time crappie guides work on large reservoirs. When the bite’s hot, guides who specialize in catfish or bass may also switch to crappies. Crappie guides are mobile these days, as well, bouncing among two, three, or more states, following the best bites.

Today, many anglers in this region fish primarily for crappies. They fish for fun and for food and might be on the water several times a week. They’re often knowledgeable about movement patterns in their local waters and about effective presentations. Indeed, in parts of Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee, and Arkansas, crappie fishing probably is the top game around. In the large and famous bass fisheries of Missouri, Texas, Florida, and Oklahoma, crappies may take second seat to bass, but they remain a vital recreational resource.

In Florida all the famous bass waters and many small ones that aren’t widely recognized have excellent populations of big black crappies—to the point that the species is often taken for granted. Few guides regularly target crappies, but many knowledgeable anglers pursue “specks” in earnest.

Canada: According to ­In-Fisherman Field Editor Gord Pyzer, if you mentioned crappies in Canada 25 years ago, most anglers would have looked at you as if you were crazy. Today, interest in crappie fishing has expanded; not coincidentally, so has their range. “Increasing eutrophication and associated underwater vegetation, plus clearer water because of zebra mussels, have favored crappies over some previously dominant species like walleye and lake trout,” Pyzer notes.

“In Rice Lake, Ontario, a famous largemouth lake, no crappies existed 25 years ago. Today, they’re a primary species—abundant and growing large. In Lake Simcoe, otherwise a smallmouth hotbed, crappies have also boomed over the last decade and have become the most abundant gamefish in the lake.”

On the other hand, crappies have long been popular in Georgian Bay  on Lake Huron and other parts of the Great Lakes such as Rondeau Bay on Lake Erie. Northwest Ontario also is traditional crappie territory. On Sabaskong Bay in Lake of the Woods, the ice-fishing catch alone can approach a quarter of a million fish. A couple of lakes in Manitoba also have crappies, and they are noted for producing fish averaging from 13 to 15 inches.

West: Crappies were introduced to the West, initially to lakes around Spokane, Washington, in 1890, and to California in 1908. Black crappies have had a following in the Northwest since the 1960s. Many California waters offer outstanding fishing. Photos from Diamond Valley Lake, Irvine Lake, Lake Casitas, Clear Lake, and several San Diego impoundments frequently feature catches of 2-pound fish.

Water levels typically dictate fishing fortunes in the West and Southwest. When reservoirs are high from rain, crappies occur in the small, shallow waters of southeastern Colorado, such as John Martin, Pueblo, Nee Noshe, and Neegronda, as well as the steep-sided canyon impoundments of Arizona. Fisheries tend to be cyclic, but fast growth quickly produces slabs. Larger waters like Roosevelt Lake have more stable water levels and consistently good crappie fishing, with many large fish.

North: Walleyes are king here and bass fishing is booming, but crappie fishing has a strong tradition, with millions of avid followers, especially within the natural-lake belt from Michigan through northcentral Minnesota. The long ice-fishing season provides expanded opportunity, as the fish group up and often bite well. After ice-out, fishing pressure in some areas intensifies further, as seasonal closures ban fishing for bass, pike, and walleye.

As crappies stream into shallow bays in early spring, the fish are vulnerable and harvest is high. Once other species become legal targets and crappies spread into open waters, fishing pressure declines drastically.