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Southern Illinois Power Cooperative

2008 Fish Stocking

Lake of Egypt used to be touted as one of the premium crappie fishing lakes in southern Illinois, but over the past few years they have become harder and harder to find and catch. Crappie have long been sought for their table friendliness and hours of fast paced fishing action for anglers young and old.

In the November 2007, SIPC asked Dr. Roy Heidinger, PhD to perform a sport fishing population study on Lake of Egypt. Since 1971, Dr. Heidinger has completed several such studies and he is considered by many to be the local expert on fishery management. The study confirmed what many anglers already knew. Bass and bluegill populations are strong, but crappie are another story.


Approximately 15,000 black crappie fingerlings (2-3 inches long) were stocked on May 18, 2008.

Crappie come in two species, black and white. According to Dr. Heidinger, the black crappie population has remained relatively stable over the past several decades, but only one white crappie was collected in the fall 2007 sample. Dr. Heidinger noted that Lake of Egypt water clarity has improved significantly over the past decade and he hypothesized that this may be the primary cause to the reduced white crappie population in the lake.

In the recommendation portion of his report, Dr. Heidinger suggested that SIPC stock crappie to increase the number of fish per acre. On May 18, 2008, SIPC began a three year stocking program to increase the crappie community on Lake of Egypt. Fish hatcheries typically don’t offer white crappie due to their exceptionally low stress tolerances so black crappie are the preferential stocking species.


SIPC’s Mike Livesay gives a little back for all the years of crappie fishing he has enjoyed on Lake of Egypt.

Following Dr. Heidinger’s recommendation, Southern Illinois Power Cooperative has taken actions to implement a 3 year stocking program of black crappie. The stocking plan calls for 20,000 2-3 inch fingerlings in 2008, 2009, and 2010. The balance of the 2008 stocking, approximately 5,000 fish, will be completed in the fall of 2008 and each of the remaining two years will be completed in their entirety in the spring of the subsequent years.

Mr. Pete Reiff, owner and operator of Logan Hollow Fish Farm, stated that this year’s stocking class could reach 5 to 6 inches in length within a year and slab size (15 inches) in up to 5 years. Growth rates are dependent upon food availability, but SIPC’s efforts should provide improved crappie fishing on Lake of Egypt for years to come.