Falling water spawn

[fe1]

Will crappie spawn on a flooded lake with a falling water level?

[Cray]

That is a really good question. My opinion is that if they do it would be closer to their normal areas. Though I think some will go up in the shallows if the fall is not bad but my experience is they are going to pull out on much of a drop. Think it's just a nature thing for self preservation.

[fe1]

Thanks Cray. Thing is the lake is still 20' above normal for 3 years in a row during the spawn season. Now we're expecting 10" of rain this week.
I figure if they do spawn they will be out of reach deep up in the woods where boats can't get to.There should be plenty of big fish for lack of being caught for the last 2 years.

[Cray]

We have the same exact scenario on the lake closest to me. Last 2 years iit has been flooded way up in the trees and back in places you can't get to. We got more rain coming but they have done a pretty good job holding it down so far this year. Should be lots of quality fish available this year. But spawning back in the brush like that is a good thing for these lakes in the long run even though it makes for poor fishing at times.

[Lonnie84]

Our local O.D.W.C. officers was speaking about this issue a few weeks ago, he said they (Oklahoma Wildlife Department) believed the spawns will take place as normal when water temp get to where they need to be, and that the fish will go to the shallower reaches of the water since it is more instinctive for them to do so. Just like salmon are going to go up stream however far that might be until they can't go anymore. He also said as long as the water stays up through out the cycle there would be a successful spawn. The problem of course is when the water gets pulled back off of the nest before the fry have time to hatch and mature enough to leave the nest on there own which usually takes about 3 to 5 days for the hatch and another 3 to 4 days for the fry to swim off the nest. So basically the water needs to stay up 7 to 10 days to get a good spawn.

[fe1]

Thank you Lonnie thats some good info right there.