The body is compressed or flat. Tail fin, dorsal and anal fins are spotted. Lake Pleasant is the only lake where white crappie are occasionally caught. More tolerant of warm, turbid waters than black crappie. Spawn in spring to early summer, usually near cover such as submerged brush or rock.
Males guard the nest, and young after the eggs hatch.
Generally mature in second or third year of life, rarely live more than 6 to 7 years. Insect and plankton eaters until they reach four or five inches switching to a fish diet. In Arizona, threadfin shad are their main diet.