Welcome to our Crappie Fishing Home Page

Crappie are some of the most popular fish to eat and because of that, they are one of the most popular panfish for anglers throughout the United States and into Canada.  You can find crappie in a variety of lakes and reservoirs, rivers and ponds.  Most people target them in the spring when they are shallow because once they go deep, they become a lot harder to find and catch.


Crappie Fishing Tips


Quick Links


Baits, Rigs & Techniques Tackle Recommendations
Best Fishing Rigs Fishing Line Recommendations
Best Fishing Techniques Fishing Rod & Reel Recommendations
Best Live & Natural Baits
Best Lures Time of Day & Throughout the Seasons
Catch More & Bigger Fish Seasons (Spring thru Winter)
Time of Day
Catch Big Crappie
Catch Lots of Crappie Water & Weather
Kitchen Table Cover & Structure
Types of Water
Eating Crappie Water Depths
Weather

Habitat


Crappie are definitely more popular in lakes and reservoirs than rivers.  In lakes and reservoirs, you will really only find them shallow early in the spring, then crappie move out towards deeper water.  Crappie love wood and they can also be found around weeds and rocks too.  Crappie are known for schooling out over open water which makes fishing difficult until you can find them.  You may find these fish 20 to 40 feet down from summer through fall out over open water.  They can also be found in very clear water and murky water, so they do well in many different environments.

Learn more about the different types of cover and structure where you will find and catch more crappie.


Don’t Miss the Spawn


The spawn is by far the easiest time of year to catch crappie.  As water temperatures move into the low 60s, you can usually find plenty of crappie in full spawning mode all over the shorelines in the bays.  Find the weeds and/or wood and you should be able to find plenty of crappie.


Crappie Feed Primarily on Minnows & Small Bait Fish


Crappie feed on minnows.  If you want to catch crappie consistently, it’s usually minnows or jigs, however, crappie will eat a variety of lures that mimic their favorite bait fish as well.


Crappie School Up In Big Numbers


Crappie do school up in big numbers.  Many anglers fish for crappie offshore summer through fall and if they can find them on their electronics, they can catch big numbers of them.  Just because they go deep doesn’t mean they are hard to catch.  They are hard to find, but with the better electronics on the market nowadays, it is easier to find these schools of crappie in deeper water.


Crappie Like Deep Water


Many anglers do great fishing for crappie in the spring in the shallows and then they get the idea in their head that crappie are a shallow water fish.  In reality, it is quite the opposite.  If the lake or river has some deep water, crappie will stay in the deeper water for the most part.  On some lakes, it may be 20 to 30 feet deep while on other bodies of water, it can be 10 to 15 feet of water.  It all depends on the water temperatures and the water clarity.  In clear lakes, they tend to go deeper than in murky lakes and rivers.


Crappie Roam the Open Waters


Crappie roam the open waters and they will follow bait fish long distances.  They are much harder to find once they start roaming the open waters offshore.  Once the spawn is over, you can forget about the easy shallow water fishing as the bite usually stays deeper for most of the rest of the year.


Best Crappie Fishing Destinations


Crappie are found all over the country and in many parts of Canada as well.  This is a fish that gives you lots of options because there are some awesome crappie destination in the northern part of the United States, up into Canada and all the way down to the southern part of the U.S. as well.  Take a look below to find some of the best crappie fishing destinations.

Best Crappie Fishing Destinations


Best Baits for Crappie


Soft Baits


Hard Baits


Live Baits


Best Crappie Fishing Rigs


Best Crappie Fishing Rigs


Best Crappie Fishing Techniques


Best Fishing Techniques for Crappie


Catch Big Crappie


Catch Big Crappie


Catch Lots of Crappie


Catch Lots of Crappie


Fishing Line Recommendations


Fishing line can vary depending on if you are fishing clear water, murky water, rivers or lakes, so make sure to take a look at our fishing line recommendations for crappie page to learn more.


Fishing Rod & Reel Recommendations


You won’t need heavy fishing rods and reels unless you are fishing in heavy cover.  Break out the ultra light rods and reels and you’ll catch plenty of crappie.

Crappie Fishing Rod & Reel Recommendations


Seasons


As the seasons change, crappie move from deep to shallow back to deep.  Learn where they can usually be found as they transition throughout the different seasons every year.

Learn about Crappie Fishing Through the Different Seasons


Time of Day


Learn how the Time of Day Affects Crappie Fishing


Types of Water


Learn about catching Crappie in the Different Types of Water.


Water Depths


Learn how to catch Crappie through the Different Water Columns.


Weather


Weather plays a role with crappie just like it does with other fish.  Learn how crappie react to the sun, clouds, wind, rain and other weather variables so you can put more fish in the boat.

Learn more about How the Weather Affects Crappie Fishing.