For instance, if crappie are spawning in 6 to 8 feet of water in a clear body of water, and a big rain event occurs, crappie may move up and spawn in 2 to 3 feet of water to remain on the edge of the light penetration down into the water. 10 Crappie Tips and Tricks. Why do crappie move deeper in the winter? If you notice this happening, make your presentation bright, loud, and smelly. Through the edges of the dock, cast your jig and drop for a few seconds. I catch so many crappie in the fall while the bait is just falling to the pile very slowly. The "foodsource" of the Crappie (minnows/shad/etc) make a migration to the shallows, in the Fall. Crappie are often found in what seem to be random places. Click Biologists don’t have much information about why crappie move where they do between fall and spring. Crappie may spawn as early as mid-March in the southern part of the state and as late as the end of May in northern Missouri. Post-spawn. In spring, crappie move to the shallows to spawn. Both species of crappie can grow to over 5 pounds, though the average size is slightly under 1 pound. At this point, you can find crappies in shallow waters, typically at levels of up to 10 feet. Crappie Fishing during the Lake Turnover can be tough! In relatively small, natural lakes, crappies will hold tight to thick weedy cover in … In this case, you may want to stick to summer tactics and fish for suspended crappie in deeper water until around October. After this, the water will become pretty close to the same temperature and oxygen level throughout the various depths. However, unlike walleye and pike, who spawn with temperatures in the 40’s (in F), crappies don’t spawn until temperatures are … This can provide the right amount of protection and comfort that crappie are sure to be looking for. During this period, crappie’s metabolisms begin to slow and they will consequently move slower than in the summer months. Crappie belong to the same family as the sunfishes and black basses; like their cousins, crappie are nest builders. Already a subscriber? If you can fish a narrow mouth to a small bay you will be off to a great start. thanks, everyone............. really havent fished for a few years, but i was at the beach about 3 weeks ago - and hit the spot run perfectly - caught a ton - well, that got me back to fresh water fishing..... so, i hit falls and was fishing the highway 50 boatlaunch - on the falls lake side - not the beaverdam - and caught one male using a spinner in "relatively" shallow water and that got me thinkin that they might be heading in to shallow water to hunt for a spawning ground - that was 3 weeks ago. Hal Schramm Freshwater Fishing, Getting' Fresh The entire crappie spawn on a lake will often last a month or more. Well, to provide you with a concise answer in terms of the crappie spawning season, it is in the spring time, specifically when the water starts to heat up. Catching Crappie in the Fall. CrappieFisher.com is a participant of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program – it is designed to provide an aid for the websites in earning an advertisement fee – by means of advertising and linking to Amazon.com products. So if crappie aren’t suspended in deeper water, but are also not in the shallows, where do you look? Whip out the contour maps and depth finders and spider troll until you find the perfect spot and you just may develop a whole new outlook on fall crappie fishing! The spawn generally occurs when water temperatures reach 55F. Deep weed growth. Crappie are a once a year spawning fish. Immediately after each passing cold front, the crappie seems to stop biting for a couple of days, so plan your trip accordingly with the weather. These areas may not have been as affected by turnover due to their shallower depths and protection from wind. Fall crappie often follow secondary bottom channels when moving between deep water and shallow. As the water begins to cool, crappie are on the move. Spillways. The pre-spawn conditions usually occur when the water temperatures reaches 60 degrees. Crappie are constantly moving trying to find a comfortable spot and can often be scattered around a lake. Some find egg sacs in the fish they catch, in the Fall, and think they're in the process of a second spawn. Crappie do not like this churning of the water and constant changing of temperatures. When the water temps get above 75 degrees most crappie are in their summer pattern. Another factor to consider about the crappie spawn is that crappie like to spawn right on the edge of light penetration into the water. Fall is one of the best times to fish for crappie in the Northeast, second only to spring. First, go to the bays. The post-spawn is one of the hardest phases to catch slab crappie and an even harder time to find crappie on a new lake. Crappie are constantly changing depths as they move from deep water to the shallows to spawn. Here is a very detailed video on how I locate, and catch crappie in the fall and on into winter. Contour maps (also called bathymetric maps) of the lake and depth finders can be very helpful in this situation. We just returned from our Fall trip to Reelfoot Lake, TN, and the crappie bite is heating up as I type this article. Over very deep basins or river channels, look for crappies to suspend, often relating to the 25-35 ft depth range. Sign in. Try one month for $1. Near Wichita Falls, Lake Arrowhead has historically been I often fish 1/16 ounce heads and find that just letting them fall on semi-tight line catches as many or more than straight reeling does. This is the case between October and November. I use Fishidy to get high quality contour maps. The crappie are beginning to fill their stomachs in anticipation of the upcoming winter months; knowing they have to burn extra energy to stay healthy for the spring spawn. In summer, they tend to suspend off the bottom in the thermocline (aka a layer of comfortable temps and oxygen), but where do … In deeper lakes (>25 ft) you’ll want to aim closer to … We won't send you spam. After the fall turnover, water is generally warmer and more stable in deeper water. Let it drop a little, and reel in slow. In Texas, spawning seasons would take place between mid-March to mid-May. Remember this when jigging or retrieving. Remember also that with larger and deeper lakes, turnover will take longer to begin. The spawn, like with most species, correlates heavily with water temperatures. Like usual, small jigs and minnows can be very effective. Then the crappies search out … Later in the season, as water temperatures fall through the 50s into the 40s, crappies will continue their annual march toward the basin, collecting in large schools in water that is often 30 feet deep or more. During and after turnover, the water may get murky. Line and Leaders for Crappie. Most spawn in shallow coves and in the back of creeks. At this stage, the ideal fishing areas are on the docks. Steve McCadams is a fishing guide on Kentucky Lake, and he can’t understand why crappie anglers only fish the spawn. At the same time, the colder temperatures will cause shallow weeds to begin to die and give off gases from their decomposition. During the summer, fishing can be good as crappie gather around large solitary trees in the mouths of creeks and on main lake points, suspending 10 to 20 feet deep. I also find in the winter, just holding a jig over crappie or over a pile gets more bites than hopping it a lot does. This is usually called the crappie fishing season, and a great time for anglers. However, as water gets below about 40°F it starts to rise again due to becoming less dense. Difference is water temperature. In the north this happens as late as May or … “They’re there all year,” McCadams says. LOCATING POST SPAWN CRAPPIE. THE CRAPPIE SPAWN WHEN CRAPPIE SPAWN. The downside to the fall season is the cold fronts. Crappie spawn in one to six feet of water, usually in the backs Fall crappie fishing can often times be very frustrating for anglers. They are not. Stump bumping may bring out those finicky crappie during fall, too. Quick cold snaps can cause a "die off" of certain species of baitfish, and this presents a easy meal opportunity. You do need to leave a bit of leeway here, as it all depends on the specific climate and temperatures for that year.Crappie are usually very dormant and inactive during the winter, mainly because it is cold, their metabolism slows down, and they are more or less just focused on basic surv… This up and down movement of water causes turnover, or “mixing” of a lake. This is essentially what makes fall crappie fishing so difficult. Early in the fall (September timeframe) when the water is turning over you should look for spots that will remain comfortable for crappie. Understanding how the spawn plays out and finding prominent areas will greatly increase your chances of catching big, springtime slabs. In late fall deep weed beds may be the key to your success. I tell the story about my grandfather to give those that feel overwhelmed by the concept the confidence to get on the water and locate your own crappie migration routes and catch more crappie this fall. Crappie go through the same hormonal changes in the Fall as they do in the Spring. This means using a depth finder to locate brush piles somewhere between 16 to 22 feet deep. Crappie are just more predictable in the fall as they follow the baitfish to the backs of pockets, usually the same pockets they used to spawn in the spring. This is due to the up-churning of all the dead plant matter and debris on the bottom of the lake. Sorry this content is for subscribers only. In most northern lakes crappies will remain in 15 feet of water or shallower until water temperatures fall below 50 degrees in autumn. It will take a little more patience to find the fish during the fall. In spring, crappie move to the shallows to spawn. Therefore, you may not have to change your tactics too much from the summer months. Most crappie anglers call this the “pre-spawn,” and it can be a great time to catch hungry fish. This will last for a few days or weeks, depending on the size of the body of water. Later in the fall, most lakes will have constant temperature and oxygen levels throughout. Bay mouths, inlets, and other “comfort zones” can be safe retreats for crappie during fall turnover. During the post-spawn the crappie are moving out to find more … Also, in the south where temperatures stay warmer throughout the year, the effects of turnover will not be as apparent. The October crappie bite can be excellent, especially for big crappie. The entire crappie spawn on a lake will often last a month or more. Fall spawns do not exist. Give every chance you can to the fish to strike. Here for AD-Free Premium membership options. So, I stated countin down til the spring spawn and that left me thinking - if they do spawn in the fall, they better hurry up, cause the spring spawn wouldn't be too far behind this fall spawn - if it existed. With that said, the entire crappie spawning season taking a month or two to finish. Try fishing in the shallows on windward shores, edges of weed beds, rock piles, submerged trees, and docks as well. Because cold water becomes more dense and heavier than warm water, it begins to sink. They will not be a big as the ones that you caught in the summer because they are not full of eggs, and when I state that I have caught some crappie in the fall that have had eggs in them, they did not get to spawn in the spring. Super Mod and 2014 Crappie.com Man of the Year. I wouldn’t bother fishing for crappie at night but sunrise and sunset can be awesome times to fish … Unsubscribe at any time. In stained or muddy water, they may spawn as … The fish feed hard and can be very aggressive. As water warms, the females start to develop eggs until the water temperature achieves 60-65 degrees, when they lay the eggs. Baitfish, and therefore bigger fish, do not like this and will move further out to deeper water. 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