Where do crappie go in the winter?

I watch these YouTube videos of people in boats showing how crappie seek out very deep water during winter months with their fish finder and they are indeed on the screen and catching them. Then I also watch videos of guys fishing for crappie from the bank during winter and they catch them just fine as well in water 10ft or less. It has me confused where they actually go….anyone have an explanation on this?

I also hear/read to fish with a slow presentation during winter months because the fish are lethargic and not very active, yet I see crappie videos using underspins and curly tails in winter and they catch them just fine. Anyone?

Richard Gene just made a video about winter fishing from the bank with a lot of the examples I mention above…. https://youtu.be/FhkC8hcKt48

To me, I just fish a little deeper water. They are still in the lake. I try and cast to deep bridge pilings and deep docks I can reach from the shore line. In winter hair or feather jigs with Slab Sauce will catch you some crappie. Soft plastics to me work better in warmer weather.

Mike

It will be interesting to see how this is answered. I know for me I have watched a lot of Richard Gene and my way of thinking in fishing has changed tremendously.

Personally speaking this year I have fished in way’s similar to Richard Gene and it has produced a lot of success for me that includes fishing shallow water even in the cold months. Something else I have started to pay attention to is the solar lunar bait chart and have fished on high predicted bait movement days. I have seen firsthand the benefit of looking into this chart with 90% of my successful days being on high prediction days all based off of moon phase. There is a really good post in the archive section of this website by drumking titled moon phase vs fish activity it touches on this topic more.

I say all of this to say I check the lunar chart for bait activity over water depth and outside temperature just my opinion and there are a lot of wiser fisherman on this site that I’m sure will have some good info on this.


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:popcorn: ��

They CAN be deep. Especially in clear water or deep natural lakes. But I catch fish 10’ or less year round. 80 deg or 30 deg water


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Same thing sometimes happen in the summer. 1 boat finds fish in 10 ft and another boat finds them in 25 fow. What is the deciding factor in who goes where. Oxygen, food, to create turmoil with fishermen and laugh about it? [emoji1787]

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Originally Posted by GreenEYESfromOHIO

Where do crappie go in the winter?

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To Florida to Tan! You seen Slab's post!. :highfive

Normally in the winter for us not over 15 foot deep but in 20 to 25 fow and as shallow at 2 or 3 foot deep with 41 degree water just a week ago.

I like to hold it as still as possible with very slight upward movement from time to time.

Depends on water body , weather and depth as well as clarity . No set rule on one don't fit all .:twocents

Im in Texas so or winters are not as bad as our northern brothers. I can catch them on bridge pilings at 15ft deep or I can go up the creeks and catch them in 5ft of water. In both cases our crappie follow the shad. Creek water is warmer than the mid-lake so the shad either go deeper or they head for the creeks and the crappie follow them. Follow the pattern of your forage fish during the winter and you will find the crappie hot on their heels.

Nice short article explaining the thermacline; explanation for searching for fish and understanding fish depths. LeBlanc: The Thermocline in lake water | Lake Conroe Texas

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AND ... ya'll don't want to forget the springs that may be in your lakes :ThumbsUp The water coming from them can be a few degrees warmer than the surrounding area's water, and you can bet the fish know where they are !! And on the flip side, during hot water times they can also provide cooler water !!

The cold weather temps we just had in the lowcountry of South Carolina plunged the surface temperature to 47 degrees and the crappie l had been catching suspended over brush in around 25 fow are now hugging the bottom near by as they still show up on livescope and are still catchable.


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I fish a public crappie dock, water ranges for 18 ft to 25 ft. Depending on the crappies mood we catch them 6 ft deep around hanging brush to a foot or so off the bottom. Winter dock fishing is my favorite time of year. Only missed 6 days since October 15.


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so here in lies what many fail to understand about these fish
this very thing befuddled me for a good while , one spot 3 foot of water dead of winter , next spot 30 foot of water dead on the bottom in the dead of winter.
there was a study done at one point somewhere that helped me better understand this drastic change of scenarios .
according to the study, in several larger water bodies, several different species of fish lived most of their lives in certain depth ranges .
one group in short water
one group in open water
one group in deep water
I know several lakes in this area have one group suspended in open water all winter and one group parked along the dam in deep water on the bottom and yet also have a major run of them way up the other end of the lake in a shallow creek.
does this totally explain it, not exactly but to be very sure crappie have certain tendencies in certain places that don't exist in the next spot right down the road.
as mentioned, average water dpeths in a water body,coupled with water clarity and the predominant food sources all play into the puzzle.
the easiest way to figure them out locally is to see what the local folks do on each water body, many of the old timers and locals pursue them year-round and know right when and where to be on their home lakes, sometimes just a quick question or 2 will unravel the bird nest / backlash on your reel .....just saying :cheers2

Today they were in submerged trees 40 foot deep in 60 foot of water. I scanned a lot of docks and didn't see anything. So I finally moved to a submerged forest shown on a map of the lake that I purchased when I moved here. It pays to use maps and Google Earth before you fish a new lake, especially a lake as large as Lake Washington.

In 4 hours of fishing I could only get 2 small ones to bite, even using my new toy lures. Finally got tired of the rain showers and called it quits around 2:00. But I finally got out on the lake and caught crappie in Washington. Jumping Jacks IconJumping Jacks IconJumping Jacks Icon

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Originally Posted by CrappiePappy

AND ... ya'll don't want to forget the springs that may be in your lakes :ThumbsUp The water coming from them can be a few degrees warmer than the surrounding area's water, and you can bet the fish know where they are !! And on the flip side, during hot water times they can also provide cooler water !!

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Never thought about that. Is there a way to find these spots?


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Where I'm from N. Alabama I got friends that catch fish year round focusing on water less than 6ft and others that never leave 30ft of open water and they consistently catch quality fish. And you better believe that Richard Gene has caught fish where he made that video for the past umpteen years given that same set of conditions. Find your way of fishing on your spots you like to fish and find fish. Me personally I tend to focus on water that is between 12-22 ft with decent structure and contour and I follow the bait. I also keep digital records and follow a yearly plan.

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Originally Posted by CentKyPaddler

Never thought about that. Is there a way to find these spots?


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Maps are probably the only way, other than local knowledge. I haven't looked at a paper map in so long I'm not sure if they even show the locations of any springs ... but maybe the old USGS maps would show them. :dono

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Originally Posted by CrappiePappy

Maps are probably the only way, other than local knowledge. I haven't looked at a paper map in so long I'm not sure if they even show the locations of any springs ... but maybe the old USGS maps would show them. :dono

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They show up as bubbles rising on LS

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Originally Posted by catchNgrease

Where I'm from N. Alabama I got friends that catch fish year round focusing on water less than 6ft and others that never leave 30ft of open water and they consistently catch quality fish. And you better believe that Richard Gene has caught fish where he made that video for the past umpteen years given that same set of conditions. Find your way of fishing on your spots you like to fish and find fish. Me personally I tend to focus on water that is between 12-22 ft with decent structure and contour and I follow the bait. I also keep digital records and follow a yearly plan.

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CatchNgrease,
Is your digital records on an app or another way? I’m looking to retain my fishing records on something and was curious what you use. Thanks for any input.

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Originally Posted by KrappieKrane

CatchNgrease,
Is your digital records on an app or another way? I’m looking to retain my fishing records on something and was curious what you use. Thanks for any input.

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I use an app called Diaro. I also use it for oil changes...tire rotation..other things I need to remember. It have it set to remind me at 8pm. It's super easy and I don't think I pay anything for it. Attachment 446111

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Find your bait fish and the crappie and all other fish will be close, as long as your near a ledge. Learn to read your electronics, and trust what you see, if you find baitfish look for a ledge close, all ledges and bait fish don’t hold crappie, but you keep looking and fishing and get time on the water, you’ll find them, nothing beats time on the water.

I’m in Mississippi. Last week water temps were in the upper 40’s today in the 60’s I’d normally see crappie stacked up but today nope. I was only out for a couple of hours and caught one in less than two feet of water. Last week they’d be stacked and I’d throw a marker and paddle back around and they’d be gone. This weather has them just as confused as it does us in my opinion.

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Originally Posted by CrappiePappy

AND ... ya'll don't want to forget the springs that may be in your lakes :ThumbsUp The water coming from them can be a few degrees warmer than the surrounding area's water, and you can bet the fish know where they are !! And on the flip side, during hot water times they can also provide cooler water !!

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Great tip!

Mike

Depends on region of the country, length of day light, water/air temp. In ice covered lakes there is more oxygen in the main lake. Open water has oxygen all over the lake.