Since this is the Q&O section here's my observations as a fisherman of 3 ponds here in Ohio with white crappie.
Pond 1: 1/2 acre excavated, clay bottom in a field with little structure and grass banks. Stocked with BG, CC, and LMB Crappie were added 15 years ago. 10 years ago to present all you can catch is 6-7" crappie, 10" bass, 8lb catfish occasionally, and 4-5" bluegills.
Pond 2: 5 acre deep earthen and mortared stone dam fed by small creek/waterfall surrounded on 3 sides by large trees. Public fishing allowed. 1 bass a day limit until last year, now none are to be removed, no panfish limit. Lots of structure in the form of fallen trees, boulders, and a couple small patches of lily pads. Stocked with almost every kind of fish except walleye, pike etc. Bass in this lake are plentiful and the largest I have seen in Ohio, some appear to be 8lbs. but are uncatchable. 10 to 15 years ago crappie fishing was good. 12" fish were common. Today all you catch is 4-6" crappie by the bucketfull. They will even hit bass lures as large as themselves.
Pond 3: Eastern Ohio hill country. 20 year old 1.5 acre dammed hillside. A few fallen trees, shallow muddy pond with a lot of water flow. CC, BG, LMB stocked in the beginning but almost non-existent. Tons of 4-6" crappie with an occasional 12-14". One near state record was caught there two years ago.
I have fished a small river nearby and have caught over 50 crappies 13" to 15" in a day. I have fished many large lakes and caught buckets full of 9" to 14" fish. The large lakes have lots of gizzard shad and good predator populations. I have never caught keeper size crappies from small impoundments but would love the opportunity to.
