Summer Patterns-Shallow lakes

[joejv4]

OK, I've read tons of articles on seasonal patterns for crappie, and most of them talk about crappie moving deep in the summer - and describe deep as anywhere from 15 to 25 FOW.

That's all well and good if your fishing hole gets that deep... but my favorite crappie holes are on small lakes/large ponds (250 - 350 acres) that have an average depth in the 6 foot range. The "deep water" on these lakes is in the neighborhood of 10 to 11 feet deep. Now, I had no problem finding them in the shallows (1 to 4 FOW) during the spawn, then during post spawn, they were in the deep water adjacent to where they were spawning, suspended about 3' from the surface, but now we're into full-blown summer and I'm not having much luck at all finding them. The water is like bath water, and is about a foot lower than normal. I am not finding any schools at all. These are black crappie, and I've always thought they were a schooling fish - but I'm not seeing any schooling going on. Catch one or two, then nothing until you move someplace else. Very frustrating.

Does anyone have any insight on Summer patterns on "small water"?

[DRPEPPER]

I don't recall how big one of my favorite lakes is; 40 maybe 50 thousand acres?? The average depth is 6 feet. There are old lakes, ponds, and creeks that are 12 feet though. I have never found fish in them during the summer. They do haunt a few holes I know about in the fall and winter. During the summer most of my fish are caught by casting jigs or roostertails at any shady structure. I would love to use some of the trolling methods I have read about on this sight. But, there are too many stumps. I remember one summer I found a submerged ditch of some kind. It was loaded with huge bream. It wasn't more than just a few inches deeper than the surrounding bottom. I also place micro jigs into lily pads in 4' or less water. I haven't figured out a good summer pattern on this lake at all. That is why I bought a pontoon boat so I can play with the kids.
DP

[NIMROD]

The main thing to remember is Crappie like cover. Next is does the deeper water contain enough dissolve oxygen? Here right now the Crappie like channel edges on Nimrod. But during hot weather they will follow shad into the shallows. The deep water does'nt hold enough oxygen.

[harpenter]

Just like Nim said, look for cover. The only place we've been finding them is in areas with downed trees, or man made beds.

[NIMROD]

I don't recall how big one of my favorite lakes is; 40 maybe 50 thousand acres?? The average depth is 6 feet. There are old lakes, ponds, and creeks that are 12 feet though. I have never found fish in them during the summer. They do haunt a few holes I know about in the fall and winter. During the summer most of my fish are caught by casting jigs or roostertails at any shady structure. I would love to use some of the trolling methods I have read about on this sight. But, there are too many stumps. I remember one summer I found a submerged ditch of some kind. It was loaded with huge bream. It wasn't more than just a few inches deeper than the surrounding bottom. I also place micro jigs into lily pads in 4' or less water. I haven't figured out a good summer pattern on this lake at all. That is why I bought a pontoon boat so I can play with the kids.
DP

Would you happen to be talking about Conway ? It's the largest man made Game and Fish owned lake in the nation. Conway is 6700 acres.:D

[crappiefarmer]

OK, I've read tons of articles on seasonal patterns for crappie, and most of them talk about crappie moving deep in the summer - and describe deep as anywhere from 15 to 25 FOW.

That's all well and good if your fishing hole gets that deep... but my favorite crappie holes are on small lakes/large ponds (250 - 350 acres) that have an average depth in the 6 foot range. The "deep water" on these lakes is in the neighborhood of 10 to 11 feet deep. Now, I had no problem finding them in the shallows (1 to 4 FOW) during the spawn, then during post spawn, they were in the deep water adjacent to where they were spawning, suspended about 3' from the surface, but now we're into full-blown summer and I'm not having much luck at all finding them. The water is like bath water, and is about a foot lower than normal. I am not finding any schools at all. These are black crappie, and I've always thought they were a schooling fish - but I'm not seeing any schooling going on. Catch one or two, then nothing until you move someplace else. Very frustrating.

Does anyone have any insight on Summer patterns on "small water"?

I fish on coastal rivers very similar to your water in depth. all we have is Black Crappie. We have very little current and is more like a lake unless you have gulley washers come through and then still slow lazy current. We have a lot of areas in the backs of creeks with still water for long periods of time and they develop low dissolved oxygen areas or dead water. usually the deeper water is like this. Most people give up once the water gets like this around here but the crappie are still out there. Try water depths of 4 to 6 feet deep, no deeper than 8 feet. Also is there much cover? Look for anything that will provide shade in those depths. Thats where they will be. CF

[joejv4]

I fish on coastal rivers very similar to your water in depth. all we have is Black Crappie. We have very little current and is more like a lake unless you have gulley washers come through and then still slow lazy current. We have a lot of areas in the backs of creeks with still water for long periods of time and they develop low dissolved oxygen areas or dead water. usually the deeper water is like this. Most people give up once the water gets like this around here but the crappie are still out there. Try water depths of 4 to 6 feet deep, no deeper than 8 feet. Also is there much cover? Look for anything that will provide shade in those depths. Thats where they will be. CF

Cover in my favorite fishing hole consists mostly of weeds in the 3-4' depths. What brush, logs, stumps there are, are in 2' when the water is at normal levels, but now they're in only a foot or so of water.

I'll have to see what I can find around the weed beds next time out.

For next week, we're going to be in the northern Adirondacks, at another shallow lake - but there is more cover available, so I'll have a better idea of places to look (especially docks & floats). Last year we stayed at the beginning of July and caught a ton of crappie, this year, we'll have to see what we can find - I'm guessing the water will be lower and warmer than last year.

I'll post results after we get back.

[DRPEPPER]

Would you happen to be talking about Conway ? It's the largest man made Game and Fish owned lake in the nation. Conway is 6700 acres.:D

Yup!!
I would have named it if this thread was on the Arkansas board. I failed to mention there are so many stumps in this lake, it is imtimidating....to the boat pilot and the fisherman. Which one do you fish by????

It still looks like you are the only one doing any good in Arkansas.
DP

[ShilohRed]

I would love to use some of the trolling methods I have read about on this sight. But, there are too many stumps. can it have anymore stumps then Reel Foot lake in In Tn? And remember they spider rig there and wear the fish out. And it feels like you can almost walk from one stump to the next. I remember one summer I found a submerged ditch of some kind. It was loaded with huge bream. I would also be looking for that ditch for crappie also. Or some like it.

DP

As for shallow lakes I wish you luck on most of them.
Pete

[weeutt]

I am new to this Q&A stuff on here, so please cut me some slack if I make some mistakes. I've lived on this lake for over 20 years now and have fished it for Black Crappie ever since I moved here. The lake is a little over 7000 acres. There maybe 5 or 6 hunderd acers of open water in it. The rest is a cypress and toupler gum thicket. the trees are so thick you cant hardly get a 15 ft flat boat in it. If you go to far into it you may not be able to get the boat out and have to swim out. In all seasons but the summer, catches of black crappie are great. In the dog days of summer no matter where I go in the lake, I find no crappie. The average depth is about 6 to 8 ft. A couple of holes may be 12 ft. The bottom is covered with thick grass. The grass is so bad the the WLF would drain the lake about every 4 years to kill the grass.
But as soon as it filled up again the crappie were there in all seasons but the summer. What I would like someone to tell me is where they go in summer. By the way the Name of the lake is, Iatt lake in central louisiana.

Any help on this is more than welcome.

weeutt