Tennessee Hunting Online Magazine

KNOXVILLE — The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission has sliced the crappie creel limit by half on many reservoirs, most of them in East Tennessee.

usly to approve a recommendation from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to reduce the crappie creel limit from 30 to 15 on a number of reservoirs in Middle and East Tennessee. The TWRA proposed the move to combat declining crappie po

pulations in East Tennesse. West Tennessee reservoirs where crappie populations remain stable from year-to-year retain the 30-fish limit.


		What TN anglers are saying about the change "I don't understand the crappie creel limit dropping by 50%! It won't really affect me that much but why take such drastic steps on one hand and not on the other? To go from 30 to 15 is a BIG jump. Last year was one of the best for crappie that I have had in a long time. " Fishin Fool — Chattanooga Fishing Forum "Now I will be able to catch a limit. :D" DEER ASSASSIN— TnDeer.Com Talk Forums

According to the agency, reservoirs in Middle and East Tennessee have crappie spawns that fluctuate greatly from year-to-year.

"Most of these reservoirs have less habitat and lower fertility than they have had in the past," fisheries biologist Mike Jolley wrote in a report released by the agency. "When we get a good year class of crappie it can be cropped off efficiently by a small number of anglers if liberal creel limits are in place."

While some biologists have opined that the creel reduction won't increase the number of crappie swimming in the waters of Middle and East Tennessee, the hope is that the change, which is one of the biggest fisheries changes TWRA has made in recent years, will at least help more anglers to catch more fish.

Among the reservoirs affected by the change are Calderwood, Chilhowee, Fort Loudoun, Melton Hill, Tellico, Chickamauga, Cordell Hull, Nickajack and Watts Bar.

The 30-fish daily creel limit on crappie was originally introduced by TWRA in 1989. In 1997, the limit was reduced to 15 on several East Tennessee reservoirs, including Douglas and Cherokee lakes, and Boone, South Holston and Watauga reservoirs. Also in 1997, the agency instated a 10-inch size limit on crappie. Other Tennessee waters have more restrictive crappie regulations. On Norris Lake in East Tennessee, for example, the daily creel limit for crappie is 10.

The general consensus among commissioners and biologists seemed to be to instate the creel limit for a three-year period before reviewing its effectiveness. While it is not unthinkable that the limit could be liberalized again in the future depending upon the success of the current limit, Jolley has said that it isn't likely the agency would ever consider dropping the statewide creel limit to fewer than 15.

Also at Thursday's meeting, the commission voted to put a daily creel limit of 20 on shellcrackers, except in West Tennessee, where the limit will be 30.