crappie spawn?

[mighty]

Has the crappie began spawning in your area?

If so where, and how do you locate spawn areas?

[Jumping Cholla Jigs]

We warmed up fast this year out west and the crappie think its way past the time to spawn. Only problem is they aren't physically ready just yet so their going through various stages of false spawns. Many off the males are black and up shallow yet havent made nest so their fins are still nice. Some are starting to get milt and the females are sometimes found shallow yet not locked and their eggs are still high in the belly and not developed enough to spawn out. Water temps are over 70 and they normally spawn at 62 so their a little confused. My best guess is the main spawn is about a month away still.
One things for sure this years spawn will be fantastic! I just hope I can time it right.

[CrappieHusker]

Not here in central Missouri. Crappie are coming into the warmer, shallower water, water temps in mid 50's to close to 60 in some locations. We are a few weeks off with warm weather to stay around for a few days. Catching lots of shorts to about 12" fish. Most in the range of 10" to 12". It will get better!

[Matt Smith]

I find most spawning crappie to be over rock or mostly rock bottom. Very seldom do I catch them on mud flats during the spawn.

I don't think the fish have quite reached the spawn here, but the males are fanning the beds.

[Cliff]

They started here a couple of weeks ago but still have not come in good yet. They are running late here in north Texas aswell. Mighty one of the best ways to find good spawning areas is to fish the northern ends of the lake where your main feeder creeks are, if you can go up the creeks that water will warm up faster than the main lake coves. Areas to look for to fish are stumps, stickups, grassy areas, root systems running into the water, I also fish small drops that are shallow that goes from say 1' to 1 1/2 or 2 ' alot of time crappie will hold and nest on the bottom of the drop.

[grizzly]

Here in central Arkansas my wife and I caught several 1&1/2 lb females over the weekend and thier eggs are still tiny. Here they are still a while from spawning. I am fishing a slow moving bayou which probably warms slower than a big open water lake. Sunday they were in 7-9 feet of water right off the bottom when it was sunny. Monday it was cloudy and they were in 10-12 feet of water right off the bottom. Both days they were in the main channel and were caught trolling.grizzly

[grundan]

mighty, we went monday nite after work for a few hours and got shutout. fished a different spot that ranged from 10ft. - 1ft. nada freakin bite. minnows, jigs, tubes.

kinda stings when you cant catch one. gonna try again sat. we did a lot better with cold temps? maybe we need to try some shallow spots.

[Sandwich Maker]

Most of the lakes where I live have only one main feeder creek/river. About 3 weeks ago the water temp hit 57-59 degrees in the creeks and the large males came into a foot of water. I always start watching the creeks simply because the water warms so much sooner there. The warm nights have kept the water in the low 60's and the fish are shallow in all our local lakes. Like Jumping Cholla Jigs said, though, it's early and most of the females are not quite physically ready to lay.

[slowpole]

water temp on Lake Murray, South Carolina ranging from low 60's in the mornings over 70 by afternoonish. caught a few Monday 3/26/07 in 6 - 8 foot trolling shallow creek 10 foot deep close to the mouth