Crappie Patterns In Fall/Winter

I know that we've got quite a ways to go before cooler temps arrive here in our state, but with the heat outside it's got me day dreaming lol.

Since I'm still figuring this crappie fishing thing out, I wanted to get advice or knowledge on crappie patterns once fall & winter arrives - where they like to go, does the bite pickup similar to pre-spawn, what does the water temp need to get down to, etc?

I really started truly crappie fishing this year around pre-spawn and spawn so I learned a few things then about those patterns but I have never tried in the fall. I've always been a deer hunter come fall and winter but I plan on mixing in some fishing trips a whole lot more this year. I'm just ignorant as to how to approach it.

There's a lot of good articles on the internet about this topic. Try searching "crappie by degrees". Surface temp between 50-70 F seems to suit my style best.

What part of Tennessee do you typically fish?

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I love the fall (if it cools off). Once the water falls into the upper 60's the fish move to many of the same areas as the spring. During the spring spawn a cold front will shut the fish down, but fall Crappie seemed to only be interested in eating. Most of the water fleas go home for the winter and many anglers are scouting deer, not fishing.

In my opinion fall is the best time if the weather is good. I find them on deep brush and docks. Cold front will slow them down but not as bad as spring. I've never been really consistent from the bank in the fall but I have caught them form the bank in the fall.

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I used to consider October fall. Now it’s November. If you find them they seem to be schooled tighter. They bite more aggressively than summer but not quite as spring.

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Originally Posted by lowe175

In my opinion fall is the best time if the weather is good. I find them on deep brush and docks. Cold front will slow them down but not as bad as spring. I've never been really consistent from the bank in the fall but I have caught them form the bank in the fall.

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I am hoping to have a kayak to fish out of by the end of the year so I hope to be able to get off the shore a little bit. Going to be borrowing a kayak from someone in my family soon just to try out and get a feel for since I've never been in one.

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Originally Posted by BankBound

I am hoping to have a kayak to fish out of by the end of the year so I hope to be able to get off the shore a little bit. Going to be borrowing a kayak from someone in my family soon just to try out and get a feel for since I've never been in one.

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You’ll love it. Just wish I had more time to fish out of mine.


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Originally Posted by BankBound

I am hoping to have a kayak to fish out of by the end of the year so I hope to be able to get off the shore a little bit. Going to be borrowing a kayak from someone in my family soon just to try out and get a feel for since I've never been in one.

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If you're willing to drive down my way I can show you some places that will be in yak range

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Originally Posted by lowe175

If you're willing to drive down my way I can show you some places that will be in yak range

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Cool thanks, where you located?

Anniston, about 20mins from Neely Henry and Logan Martin, 40mins form wedowee. Those are my main lakes

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I gotta say that regarding scottsboro/gville , I seem to catch them same places all year from the bank...bite windows are shorter in summer and depend more on baitfish but they are there same places in july and august as they are nov-feb....bridges, culverts, causeways where the channel swings close...I can usually catch a bucket full between 8-11 on the causeway culverts in summer and all day in fall and winter same places.....its about bait moving through and bridges and culverts narrow that avenue so if your there when the bait is.....j

I'm fishing different spider rigging scattered fish in the summer, but the same holds true. The Crappie are where the baitfish are.

All great tips and advice, thank you guys!


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dont know about there but here in texas the fish will go into some of the prespawn locations in the fall as soon as the water temps drop from the summer high about 10 degrees . that march will turn around in some spots until they are really deep and in other spots some of them go really shallow up the creeks .
bait schools are what they follow and the feed bag is always on with crappie , if you find lots of bait they are nearby thats a fact :cheers2