How long does it take?

[strait-meat]

Well about 6-7 years ago I fished a small lake that had 12"-15" crappies on every cast. Then the next year maybe every 3rd to 4th fish was that size. Every year after that I could never catch those big ones anymore. It was a private lake but it could be reached during the winter.

How many years does it take for a small lake (160-200 acre) to regrow these fish?

I haven't fished it for the past 3 years or so.

By the way I never kept one fish out of there--all C&R

[Acemac]

may be never if all the big fish genes were fished out...

[Deitz Dittrich]

as said, they may never be the same.. and there are way to many variables. Much will depend on the available food and how successful the spawn is.

[Jim Uran]

and how hard it gets fished in between. 5-7 year cycles are about right.

[OnAFly]

It can take 10+ years for a crappie to grow into a trophy, depending on the lakes food supply.

On a lot of lakes, they won't make it that long before being caught.

[Jim Uran]

It can take 10+ for a trophy crappie, but I've noticed in my area the lake cycles and some years you have banner years on lake A, it get's fished out. Lake B is good for a couple years, than lake C has its turn. 5-7 years later you are back at lake A catching slabs.

Yes, there are too many factors in order for this to be even remotefully scientific

[strait-meat]

Can it be possible that the lake never got fished out but that the big fish only have a certain life span?? I was just guessing that it got fished out which I am sorta leaning towards but wondering if they all got big at once and then just died out. possible or not?

[Acemac]

may have been been a few years of the perfect storm. You might not see fish in the lake that that again until the moons align again.