At What Temperature Do Crappie Spawn

Crappie fishing is among the top most popular sports in the nation. Most every angler enjoys reeling in this species. They're fun to catch and most any one can, experienced or not, successfully reel in crappies. Still, there are certain things that you can do to make your fishing trips more successful. One of these things would be to know when and where to go fishing for the crappie.

One of the most popular times to go crappie fishing is during the spawning season. This is when the crappies are the most actively feeding and when you can really haul in a nice catch. One of the most important things that affect the spanning season is the water temperature. So at what temperature do crappies spawn? Spawning season normally begins when the temperature of the water reaches between 62 to 65 degrees.

Seasonal Pattern of the Crappie
Once the water starts to warm up in the spring and reaches between 45 to 50 degrees the crappie will begin moving in towards the shoreline. They can be found around channels and similar areas. They will continue to move closer to the shallow waters and into the creeks and bays as the water continues to warm.

By the time it reaches 55 to 60 degrees the crappies will be searching for a place to spawn. During this time, the males will be looking for the perfect spawning bed. The females hang out a little further from the shore in the deeper waters that are as close to the shore as they can find. Once the water warms up a few more degrees to the 62 to 65 mark the females start to move in closer and the spawning begins.

The spawning season ends and the females will leave their nesting beds and head back out to the structures in the deeper waters when the temperature reaches between 70 and 75 degrees. The males are actually the ones that stay behind and guard the nest for awhile. Once the water temperature stays at 75 for a short time or begins to climb higher as summer approaches, the males will join the females and head back out through the same route that brought them to the shore.

During the summer when it's the hottest the crappies can be found out in the deeper waters where it's cooler. They will remain there until the water begins to cool back down in the fall. At this time they will again move back in towards the shore where they will feed heavily to prepare for the winter ahead. This is an excellent time to go crappie fishing because they will be very aggressive and close to the shore during the fall just like they are during the spring. Once the water temperature starts to cool back down to the mid to high 40's the crappies will begin to head back out to the deeper waters once again.