The amount of daylight is a factor .... but, it's also the main reason for higher water temps

If Crappie spawned at 13.2hrs of daylight (regardless of water temp) then they'd be in full swing around here ... and they're not. Water temps are still in the high 40's to low 50's on most of our lakes ... and the fish are being caught in pre-spawn locations.

IMHO ... both factor into the equation, but I give water temps the bigger edge between them. Crappie in full spawn mode will back off & quit attempting to spawn if a severe cold front drops the water temps back into the mid 50's ... it's an instinctive move, because they know the eggs/fry may not survive the water temps. Most biologists consider 62-65deg water to be the prime water temp range for spawning White Crappie and 57-60deg water for Black Crappie. The low to mid 50's water temp range is when they come into shallower water during their pre-spawn feeding frenzy, and many people think they're spawning because they're catching them in shallow water.

... cp