Prime Time Spawning - by Brad

Are the crappie spawning yet? It’s the same old question every year, every spring. The answer is always the same it depends on where you are fishing, water clarity and water temperatures.


Everything factors in to when crappie spawn, but prime time is whenever you can get out on the water fishing. For most anglers it’s a time to start fishing shallow areas once the water temperature gets into the low 60s. Black crappie will begin spawning with 60-degree water temperatures while the white crappie wait for just a little warmer water temperatures that’s a degree or two warmer.


After years of studying crappie fisheries biologist explain that male crappie move into areas to spawn once the water temperature is consistently in the low 60s and will stay in that area during the spawn. Female crappie unlike male crappie that will stay in the shallow water during the spawn move up, spawn and leave back to post spawn habitat. Keep in mind not all crappie spawn at once on a body of water as different factors like water depth and dirtier water will have shallower area warming up quickly compared to gin-clear, deeper water.


Every spring crappie move into areas to spawn. While that’s a generic statement on spawning it’s because crappie are going to find an area to spawn and not all of them fit the shallow water habitat scenario. Classic scenario meaning rocky or sandy bottoms protected by strong winds or current where the eggs can be layed free from siltation; in addition to a hard bottom crappie will make beds adjacent to shallow water cover that’s available like stumps, brush piles, standing timber, vegetation or any existing cover.


Beaver Lake crappie guide Greg Robinson has years of experience fishing for crappie during the spawn. In the past, Robinson would fish the shallows for crappie, however, forward facing sonar has changed where and how he fishes for them. “I don’t chase them shallow anymore,” Robinson continued, “I fish for the fish that are in deeper water staging before they move in to spawn and moving back out from spawning.” Robinson isn’t the only one moving to fish deeper with livescope, but that’s a good thing as it opens up more space for anglers fishing shallow to fish.


“The water temperature needs to be in the 55- to 60-degree range constantly for the crappie to move in to spawn plus I think the full moon is key and that will be in April this year. Warm days and nights are the key,” Robinson went on, “Gravel shoals or pea gravel banks 10-foot and shallower are great places to fish shallow and don’t overlook black shell banks. You can also fish boat docks during the spawn as they offer protection and structure along with deep water close by if it’s near the old river channel.”


Robinson fishes with 1/8-ounce jig heads with Bobby Garland Slab Hunter or Swim R’ soft plastic lures. “I like the larger sized lures during this time of year,” Robinson continued, “The best colors for spring is shad or natural color patterns.”


How old do male crappie have to be to be sexually mature? Male crappie may only be a few inches long and just a year or two old to spawn. While male crappie in shallow water typically build a round shaped nest a female crappie stage in pre-spawn areas wait for the right time for them to move in to spawn. It’s interesting to note that a female crappie is partial spawners when it comes to spawning. They may spawn more than once and sometimes not deposit all their eggs in nests or just carry their eggs reabsorbing them after the spawn.


After the crappie eggs hatch the fry will move to deeper water and spread out. During that time other species of fish will feed on the fry like bass, but crappie will also feed on the fry they just spawned. Fry and young crappie will feed on microscopic crustaceans known as zooplankton than change their diet to minnows, shiners, shad, insect larvae and larger bait fish.