What kind of lake grows the best crappie — fertile, infertile or in between?

Usually in between, and the reason is crowding rather than food alone. Crappie reproduce in booms, and in a small, very fertile lake a boom year class can outrun its food and stall at 13–18 cm (5–7 in) — thousands of fish, no slabs. In a cold, infertile northern lake the opposite problem applies: the fish are few and grow slowly, about eight years to reach 30 cm (12 in) in southern Ontario. A moderately fertile lake tends to offer the balance — enough plankton and minnows to grow fish, and enough walleye, pike and bass to thin each year class so the survivors keep growing. It is a tendency, not a law: warm southern reservoirs grow crappie fastest of all. When judging a lake, ask about predators as well as forage.

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