Why doesn’t the Game and Fish stock more of the new prairie lake with bluegill and/or crappie? We have plenty of perch, pike, and walleye lakes.

Life requirements for bluegill and crappie are quite different from those of pike, perch and walleye. Panfish tend to thrive best in warmer, fresher water environments. Winters at this latitude in our prairie lakes are particularly challenging for young/juvenile bluegill and crappie to survive. Small bluegill tend to favor vegetated environments, especially during the winter when most aquatic plants in our prairie lakes die off. As our winters progress, low dissolved oxygen and lack of a thermal refuge (35-39 degrees) in many lakes limit panfish survival. Where predatory fish species (walleye, pike, perch) are present, young bluegill and crappie make easy foraging targets- particularly in colder water.

Our managers try to stock fish that will survive and thrive in each lake, to maximize opportunity for our anglers. We’ve stocked bluegill and crappie in many lakes where conditions are favorable, and currently have over 100 lakes with bluegill and 60 lakes with crappie. Check out our Where to Fish page to find lakes where these species reside.