# Where do crappie go in shallow lakes?



## terryit3

I live close to a small, shallow lake (no deeper than 10' over the whole lake). When the cold weather moved in, the crappie either stopped biting or moved to other areas of the lake. I have one spot I fish that always produces. There are lots of areas of lily pads starting to pop up, and even though I fished in and along them, I couldn't get any in the boat.

Any ideas or tips I should try? I fish minnows and grubs mostly.

Thanks


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## catfishnut

I got nothing for you, but I can't believe that some of the crappie guys on here don't have any tips for you!!!???


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## crappiedude

In larger lakes I find cold fronts normally just cause crappie to suspend out in open water. Lets say the fish have been in 3 or 4 fow and a front comes it, I would just back off the bank anf fish the same depth.
Is there any deep cover in the lake or is the only cover the shore line pads? How big is this lake?


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## killingtime

if they are already near there spawning area in my opinion they dont move far unless its a drastic front that lasts a long time. in my experience they just hold real tight to any cover around like docks,trees, or whatever else is around. just fish slower and maybe downsize your baits until they get real active again. if there is not a drastic depth difference near where you are fishing they are close by. again just my experience fishing shallow lakes.


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## KWaller

They will NOT leave the area. Shallow water crappie could be biting one day in 2 feet of water and its 75 degrees out and sunny then the next day it is 30 and snowing (this has happened to me) they just will not bite, literally they will only bite once or twice a day in very active feeding times because they have to have the calories. As mentioned earlier someone said that if it is going to be a longer cold front in the spawn they will leave. That is incorrect though, crappie will continue on with their spawn once the temperature gets into a constant pattern Ex. 76deg. Then 71 deg. The 74 deg. But they would not spawn in rocky temperatures Ex. 72 deg. 47 deg. 80 deg. 
Crappie can amaze you, in shallow lakes they will stay in the same exact spot year round until the water drops. I have caught crappie around docks and latters and pads that they spawned on earlier and I will catch them on a 100 degree july day (but there are less amounts shallow then deep.) I live and fish buckeye lake but then fish tournaments across the state on lakes as deep as rocky fork or east fork and shallow as buckeye and ft. Laramie.
Never underestimate the ability crappie have to suprise you, that is why I'm so hooked on crappie and am only 15.

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## Bass Assasin Slaton

near verticle structure..trees,docks exc


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## Bass-Chad

What kind of structure do you have at the lake? I would check the drop offs near extended points, downed brush, pillars and docks basically like bass almost it is where I have found them on the hard up days.


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## killingtime

i think when crappie are just starting to head back in the shallow bays or channels and feeder creeks and when a cold front approaches for a few days it will push them back a few hundred yards or so to the main lake to a little deeper water or like i said before they will hold tight to structure. they will be close but they will not swim to another part of the lake during a front. during the spawn they just quit biting and they dont go to another part of the lake during a front is what i was trying to say. you just have to keep moving to find the hungry ones. if you catch them at 9 in the morning at one spot they may not bite until noon the next day.


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## Snyd

If the crappie are getting ready to spawn they will not move far especially in the shallow lakes. They just get lock jaw and don't eat much. 
Terryit3 - On days like this try a very small jig under a float. Sometimes the crappie just don't want to chase that minnow around and use up energy.

However, I did read and interesting article about Kentucky Lake and how they have tag several Black and White Crappie a few years back to track them for a few years. From what I rememberd reading, those deep water crappie moved a lot.


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## Wow

Great moon phase comming up. May 8-10 should trigger crappie activity. Get out and slay 'em.Don't forget to post some pics. --Tim


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## ress

At the Findlay res #2 they are near the bottom in 22' of water. Anytime from dawn to dark.


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## radar3321

KWaller said:


> They will NOT leave the area. Shallow water crappie could be biting one day in 2 feet of water and its 75 degrees out and sunny then the next day it is 30 and snowing (this has happened to me) they just will not bite, literally they will only bite once or twice a day in very active feeding times because they have to have the calories. As mentioned earlier someone said that if it is going to be a longer cold front in the spawn they will leave. That is incorrect though, crappie will continue on with their spawn once the temperature gets into a constant pattern Ex. 76deg. Then 71 deg. The 74 deg. But they would not spawn in rocky temperatures Ex. 72 deg. 47 deg. 80 deg.
> Crappie can amaze you, in shallow lakes they will stay in the same exact spot year round until the water drops. I have caught crappie around docks and latters and pads that they spawned on earlier and I will catch them on a 100 degree july day (but there are less amounts shallow then deep.) I live and fish buckeye lake but then fish tournaments across the state on lakes as deep as rocky fork or east fork and shallow as buckeye and ft. Laramie.
> Never underestimate the ability crappie have to suprise you, that is why I'm so hooked on crappie and am only 15.
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


For only 15 you seem to have a great understanding on the crappie. I love reading about young people loving to fish like you do.

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## KWaller

radar3321 said:


> For only 15 you seem to have a great understanding on the crappie. I love reading about young people loving to fish like you do.
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


Yep, thanks. I fish competively across the state for them. I have gottin myself sponsored by crappie pro, crazy angler, bhighpoint taxidermy, imperial flooring, and have personally received phone calls from Kent Driscoll, BnM's pro staff manager 

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## yonderfishin

As I read through some of these replies it strikes me as odd how different crappie can be depending on the location and body of water. For years I fished for crappie in a small lake in south Georgia , and just before the spawn every year I would go at night to fish off a dock and catch a lot of very large ones that were schooling and chasing baitfish almost like a school of bass would. Though they could be caught during the day in smaller numbers , after the sun went down you could see minnows being chased all over the lake by schools of crappie. I could literally track where the schools of crappie were by watching the water go nuts in the moonlight from all the minnows being chased , when they came my way I knew I was about to have my floats go down. I would catch 5 or 6 large crappie and then as they moved past me the bite slowed and then stopped. Id just sit and wait , watching the school move on down along the bank until they came around my way again. I fished all night a lot of times and the schools moved through off and on through the night. Yes they were crappie and yes they literally fed like hogs and chased minnows all over the lake. Once they were spawning they were usually only caught around weeds and fallen trees , etc. Any other time of year they were pretty evenly spread through the deepest parts of the lake ( though the deepest part was probably like 10 feet ) and under boat docks. Very different location and water , but the same species.


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## fish420

the lake is only 10 ft deep with no structure? make your own and youll kill them. only make a couple brushpiles or stakebeds and they will be full of crappie all year long.


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## Rasper

Tell me if you make that structure then ill join you for some spring time fun.
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## TRAPPERBECK

Here's a question FUR all of the fishermen here in northeast Ohio . Which lake has the best crappie fishing, I have a buddy that wants to get into crappie fishing this year & would like to find out the best lake to start . Just want to know everyones opinion ! 
Thanks !


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## fish420

TRAPPERBECK said:


> Here's a question FUR all of the fishermen here in northeast Ohio . Which lake has the best crappie fishing, I have a buddy that wants to get into crappie fishing this year & would like to find out the best lake to start . Just want to know everyones opinion !
> Thanks !
> 
> 
> Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


berlin mosquito and pymatuning are the main 3 i go to, i hear ladue reservoir is pretty good. smaller pay lakes if they still exist probably still stock them


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## TRAPPERBECK

Thanks Fish420. I kinda thought that mosquito would be in the there , cuz my Hney & I did catch a couple good ones up at the north end of mosquito ! Now Berlin well I guess i have to find them . Thanks again !


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## Rasper

Hows the crappie fishing at mosquito in april? My campground opens on fools day.

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## fish420

anytime during spring you can catch them every cast at mosquito.. in the fall its not too bad either. any other time of the year you have to work for em. i dont fish berlin too often anymore but the bedell rd bridge off of 224 is good in the spring and theres tons of timber and structure in that lake so crappie can basically be anywhere finding them is the hard part. in a boat id imagine it would be much easier though.


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## SeanStone

I'm way late on this thread but, in general find structure and you will find crappie. As others have mentioned they may not be active, but they are there. We fish rocky fork, max depth of 40 some feet, and on the opposite side of the spectrum we fish adams lake with a max depth of 13 feet. In general crappie drop deep in winter and move shallow in the spring to spawn, after spawn water temps warm and weeds get out of control. This time of year they can be caught on the weed lines, but not in good numbers as they are dispersed, simply cruising the weed lines. They also favor main lake points.....just like bass fishing when you have wind blowing across a main lake point, fish will congregate there.

In my opinion depth is relative, dont be concerned that your only fishing 13 foot in the middle of winter if that 13ft is the deepest hole that is available. Learn crappie patterns and you'll be able to catch them year round on any lake you fish.

Best of luck, and sorry the post is so late.


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## fish420

all this talk about crappie fishing really makes me want to go crappie fishing haha


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