How do Crappie spawn?

[Chill]

Thanks for the info guys.
I don't remember the bloody tail, but I'll watch for it this year.
CP, I asked about your lake to see how close to Indiana you are because of the similar conditions.

[Cane Pole]

You'd be surprised where Crappie will lay their eggs :p

I saw a TV (fishing) show, back several years ago, where the Crappie were spawning on the cavitation plates of outboard motors ... of boats that were parked in Marina slips

They can & will utilize whatever is available, if need be

... cp

Yep. Weather and water conditions play a major role. If the don't like it, they just absorb the eggs and wait til next year. Self preservation kinda.
I seen 'em spawning with their dorsal fin out the water. Busy bodies for sure.
I get to see a lot of this stuff.

[WestTennCrappie]

Eager Beaver......

Come this way and i will show you they will drop eggs on stumps and wood.

And yes the females dont sit on the nest they come in to drop a few and then leave. They might drop several times before they are done but they dont spawn more than once per year. I have been fishing several times during the spawn catching males and suddenly you will catch all females for a short time as they move in and then it will switch back to males. I have seen alot of cool stuff in the spawn.....

[Cane Pole]

Eager Beaver......

Come this way and i will show you they will drop eggs on stumps and wood.

And yes the females dont sit on the nest they come in to drop a few and then leave. They might drop several times before they are done but they dont spawn more than once per year. I have been fishing several times during the spawn catching males and suddenly you will catch all females for a short time as they move in and then it will switch back to males. I have seen alot of cool stuff in the spawn.....

The spawn in shallow shallow stake beds if the chain gang don't come along.

[blairarnold]

In the oxbow lakes I fish the only alternatives are to spawn in mud or on wood (cypress knees, stumps, limbs, fallen down trees, etc.). There is no sand, gravel, rock or even clay. The crappie prefer wood over mud in these conditions.

In the big hill Corps lakes like Greers Ferry, there is plenty of sand, rock, etc., but even there it seems like you catch more around wood than you do in areas without it.

[Al Socarras]

I live in south ga on the coast. What is the earliest crappie spawn. I caught large amount of blacks ,female, full of roe. The way they stayed on this flat for the first two weeks of Dec in 7 feet of water has got me wondering.

[lowe175]

The correct answer is both. Crappie will nest on any hard and will make a nest on gravel or sand too.

[Tom 513]

As far as spawning times for Crappie go, I always thought Crappie could spawn more frequently than just in Spring, finding eggs sacks year round has made Me believe this is true or could developing egg sack possibly have more to do with water temps and weather more so than the seasons?

[NIMROD]

As far as spawning times for Crappie go, I always thought Crappie could spawn more frequently than just in Spring, finding eggs sacks year round has made Me believe this is true or could developing egg sack possibly have more to do with water temps and weather more so than the seasons?

Most areas Crappie only spawn in the spring . They start developing eggs in the fall and they don't completely mature till spring .

[INTIMIDATOR]

I posted a bunch of articles from In-Fisherman about the spawns, last week...Researchers have found Crappie in the South also spawn in the Fall, especially if Spring is messed up for them.
In the North after the spawns and rest period, the females start developing eggs again for the next year's spawn.