If the front doesn't make a radical change in the deeper water temps, it seems to not have too much effect on Crappie in our lakes. It can, in fact, start the shift towards the Fall pattern ... albeit a "false start" in most cases, this time of year, seeing as how the effects are short lived and air temps rebound back to normal or above.

With our thermoclines in the 12-20ft range, and most Crappie holding at or around those depths, a front doesn't affect them in the long term. When the trend is moving towards consistent cooler weather, and water temps begin to drop in the deeper depths of the water column, the fish will instinctively start to feed more heavily & aggressively. Then those cold fronts can actually help push the fish to react more positively.

Quick rises/falls in the barometric pressure (the result of major fronts) upset the equilibrium of fish in the shallower depths of the water column, and they react to that by hunkering down or going deeper or a slowing of their feeding activity. They're "uncomfortable", so they react accordingly. Once the pressure has eased back to a more comfortable level, the fish detect that and go back to their normal, seasonal behavior.

... cp