Field Science: Crappies Can Cope

During the spring and early summer of 2019, much of the country endured historic flooding. The Arkansas River system raged out of its banks in May and June, in the middle of a tagging study of crappies by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC). Biologists feared that these torrents would be devastating for fish populations in general and crappies in particular, a species not known for robust swimming ability.

So when a crappie turned up in a wildlife management area in 2020 with a tag showing it had been released in Lake Dardanelle in 2018, an impoundment of the Arkansas River, the researchers were more than a little surprised. Nick Feltz, an AGFC biologist was told the spot was some 50 miles distant. “We examined the map closely and saw that it might have passed over a levee breach after it went over Dardanelle Dam. In that case, this 12-inch female probably traveled about 32 miles. She was full of eggs and ready to spawn again, despite the difficult and long journey.

“We’ve lately seen more and severer flood conditions, and anglers have expressed concern about its effects on fishing. This fish demonstrates how resilient crappies can be.” This finding gives testimony to the ability of fish to cope with many of nature’s challenges. We sometimes catch fish showing gruesome scars from an earlier attack by fish or bird that caused deep gashes in the body cavity, yet had healed fully. In other cases, fish show terrible damage to the mouth area, perhaps caused by careless hook removal, yet the fish has somehow found a way to feed with a dysfunctional mouth.

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