Deep Water Crappie Spawning?

[rivercrappievt]

So I've got a question for you experts. . . . I have spent a lot of time searching for lakes and ponds that have Crappie in them here in Vermont, they are hard to come by. There are a few spots(one being a river setback/oxbow) that we have found them in deep water under the ice and in the early spring. Where are those fish going to spawn? Will they always move shallow to do so or if they are "deep water" Crappies will they spawn in a little deeper water? Having a tough time figuring them out, or course there aren't that many of them. . . . .Thanks in advance guys!

[rivercrappievt]

Really? Nobody has any info on this?

[NIMROD]

Here some spawn shallow as 1' and others seem to bed deep as 8'.

[yankee doodler]

Over here in MI. where many of the lakes are clear (like I imagine yours may be) the crappie will spawn deeper. My understanding for this is water temp at the bed sites. Clearer water allows the sunlight to warm the water deeper than stained water. The crappie here will also migrate into bays/channels off lakes that are shallower and have darker bottoms where the water heats up faster than the main lake body. That's the way I understand it anyway. Others may have some other ideas on it.

[Kman]

Over here in MI. where many of the lakes are clear (like I imagine yours may be) the crappie will spawn deeper. My understanding for this is water temp at the bed sites. Clearer water allows the sunlight to warm the water deeper than stained water. The crappie here will also migrate into bays/channels off lakes that are shallower and have darker bottoms where the water heats up faster than the main lake body. That's the way I understand it anyway. Others may have some other ideas on it.

x2

[Choupic]

I have no idea especially about the ice part ! But in the river system down here they usually move into dead end canals or little inlets , maybe near a boat launch to spawn . And the only clear water we have is in the swimming pools ! Lol

[rivercrappievt]

Thanks guys, i'm going to check some setbacks on the river tomorrow, hopefully I find some good water temps.