Thread: spawning crappie

A crappie's first choice is a hard, siltless bottom where there is some cover (sometimes only a single stick). However, they will do whatever it takes to get it done. I've heard of eyewitness stories where crappie were laying eggs on the tops of aquatic grass and other plants (coontail, hydrilla, etc.). How deep they spawn depends on water temperature and clarity. Last year on our lake the conditions were just right for them to start spawning in 2-3ft. of water and as the season progressed they gradually spawned in deeper water getting down as deep as 12 or so foot.

I've pulled them out of 14' of water with eggs dripping out of them. They where white crappie and the water clarity was about 3 feet.

Originally Posted by sixfin

I've pulled them out of 14' of water with eggs dripping out of them. They where white crappie and the water clarity was about 3 feet.

They could have been spawning that deep so long as they had the right temperature and light penetration. They could have also been staging crappie ready to move into the spawning areas. Since our lake is devoid of cover, we have placed shallow spawning cover. Then just outside those spawning areas we have sunk staging beds made of bamboo. So, that gives us 3 levels of cover specifically for the spawning season. When the lake is at full pool, they can spawn in the high water bank cover (level 1), and stage in the condos we've built in for low water spawning (level 2). When the lake is not at full pool, they can spawn in the cover we've built just for that purpose (level 2), and stage in the condos out from them (level 3). If conditions remain right for the whole season, they can start spawning in a shallower level and finish in the deeper level of cover (level 1 to level 2 -- or -- level 2 to level 3).

Originally Posted by Budman

Do all crappie spawn at the bank? Going to put my first condos out next weekend. Plan on putting some pvc condos on a flat. The water is 8 to 10 ft deep. Will they spawn in water that deep? Going to put some bambo condos in deeper water for the summer fishing. Any advice?

Don't know about your area, but around here ... they're subject to spawning in water up to 10-12ft deep. It depends on the water temp and clarity, as has been stated. Males pick the bedding spots, the females just drop eggs and move back out to their staging spots ... and they don't drop all of them in one nest, they move back and forth until they've dropped all they can or the conditions deteriorate.
Most people "think" they spawn up close to the bank, because that's where they've caught them and that's what they've been taught. Shallow cover close to the bank is an easy place to find them (for the anglers), because the cover is usually visable.
If your flat is pretty much empty of cover, then your condo's should draw them in. You might even consider putting some horizontal bamboo mats on your flat ... close to the bank ... and some PVC condo's out deeper, but close by. This would give the Crappie a spawning bed and a staging spot.

... cp

how do i get the crappie in my pond to go got a lot of big ones but no small ones scared to keep any don't no how many there is put out ceders and rock to help is this right

Most fisheries biologists don't recommend crappie in your pond because they don't do well with bass and bluegill. Someone released them in our pond and we've tried to get them out. There are not many, but the few we catch every year are true slabs. That leads me to believe that not many crappie fingerlings survive, but the ones that do get big.