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Fish Species Growth Rate?


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Is there anyone out there, DNR, etc that shows what the average growth rate of species of fish is?

I know that there are a lot of factors that go into this, the body of water, forage base, season, predator population and so on.

But I guess my question for example is, if I have an 8" crappie today and 6 months from now I have that same crappie, based on an average growth rate, how big should it be? 9", 10". So a crappie, based on an average growth rate, grows an 1" or 1 1/2" every six months?

Kind of a weird question.

Just curious if anyone has any ideas on this.

[This message has been edited by Rick (edited 06-25-2004).]

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I was able to find a big report on the growth of bluegills in minnesota. I would imagine crappies would be slightly higher. The rates were different for different classes of lakes but an average is somewhat apparent. It seems that a bluegill grows on average about an inch per year, up to age 5. It then seems to tapper off to about 1/2 an inch per year. It showed different lake classes and in some lakes the sunnies only live 7 years, and in a FEW others it went all the way to 14 years. Almost all classes of lakes had the blugills inbetween 6 and 7 inches at age 6. There was 1 class of lake that had the bluegills at 10" by the 8th year! And others that had them at 6.5" at the 8th year. This was the only growth rate survey I was able to find at mn dnr but im sure there are more somewhere on the internet. You must make sure the survey is for minnesota fish only because growth rates are much different in other parts of the country.

------------------
"Better get the net!"
-Fishin Chad

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Average total length in inches for minnesota fishes at the end of the year.

year....1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10
crappie....2..5..7..8..10.11.12.12.13.14
bluegill...2..3..5..6..7..8..8..9..9..10
lm bass....4..7..9..12.13.15.16.18.18. -
muskie.....7..13.17.22.26.29.33.39.42.44
northern...8..13.18.21.24.27.29.31.33.35
sunny......2..3..4..6..6..7..8..8..9.. -
sm bass....4..7..10.12.18.21.-..-..-.. -
walleye....5..9..12.15.17.19.21.22.23.25

Dont know if you can understand it. I got the info from a book I have called, Ron Scharas MN fishing guide.

*edit-I give up trying to fix it! if you cant understand it Im sure someone can explain it.

[This message has been edited by Dynasty (edited 06-25-2004).]

[This message has been edited by Dynasty (edited 06-25-2004).]

[This message has been edited by Dynasty (edited 06-25-2004).]

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