Water temp for spring crappie ?

[rlsiv]

OK, I'll admit it - I'm pretty much a crappie newbie. I fish for them several times a year - always during the late spring or summer.

I've got the boat and gear I need BUT no knowledge of pursuing these little boogers year-round.

My question: As winter ends, what water temp is necessary for the fish to start moving into beds? And for you midwesterners (I am from MO), what month/week/(exact date and time would be nice ) does this start to occur?
I bought a bigger boat last year so the wife and kids can all go without tipping over, and want to start planning some fishing weekends !!

Any direction would be appreciated -
THANKS,

Ralph

[drfishjd]

On Truman, we've seen crappie on beds as early as March 19, with water temps in the mid 50's on the main lake. I fish alot of staging areas close to the spawning areas, but it seems like the action starts anywhere around 60 degrees. It seems like when the surface temp hits 70, they're actively spawning alot of places. Personally, I like to catch the very start of the spawn, as it seems that in most seasons, the bigger males nest up first.

[Crappiepalooza]

Here in Iowa, my first action last year was towards the latter part of April (the 20th to be exact) with water temps in the mid 50s. Caught fish in deep brush piles. Probably staging for the spawn I guess.

[Brush Buster]

This is an artical that i found sometime back. I cannot find the link. I did not create this but it has good temp info.

LOCATION GUIDELINES

Crappie generally start their movement out of their deep water winter haunts when the water temperatures start warming towards the 45-50 degree range. They will congregate around the entrances of creek channels until the water temps reaches around the 50-55 degree range. Then you can expect them to begin migrating towards the shallower secondary creeks and bays, using the channels as "highways". At this point, try trolling minnows or casting tubes jigs or Curl Tail grub to isolated stumps, brush and small pockets, and retrieving them back very slowly. When water reaches in the 55-60 degree range, the males should be in shallow water looking and fanning out spawning beds, while the females stage out in the closest deeper water structures. Crappie feed more aggressively and baitfish are more active as spawning nears. Try dropping a minnow under a cork into the spawning beds for males. Use a cast and slow retrieve with a CULPRIT Paddle Tail grub for the deeper females.
As a general rule, surface temperatures in the 62-65 degree range are almost perfect for shallow, spawning crappie. The females will then move in and around brushy cover. Your best bet now is to drop live minnows under a cork. Any bad weather or cold fronts can set the whole process back a few days to a few weeks. This will be explained in more detail later.
When water warms to the 70-75 degree range, the females will leave their nest and move to nearby deep structures where they staged before the spawning. The males stay behind to guard the nests. Use a cast/retrieve slowly with the CULPRIT Paddle tail grub. By the time water reaches 75 degrees, the males will be joining the females and migrate through the channels the same way they came in back out to the deep cooler water for the summer.
When the water starts to cool in the fall, they will again move back into the creek channels to feed heavily for the upcoming winter months. Most crappies will stage halfway up the tributaries near to the pre-spawn locations. Casting the CULPRIT Crappie Baits such as the Tassel Tail, Paddle Tail and Curl Tail jigs is an effective and fun way to catch crappies now. When water temps fall in the mid-40's range, they will migrate back to deep water in the main lake.
Keep in mind that these water temperature ranges are arbitrary, depending on the locations of the water you fish. For example, crappies spawn when water is in the 62-65 degree range, which can be as early as January in the Deep South or as late as June in the North.

COLD FRONTS AND FALLING WATER TEMPERATURES

There's another factor that seem to be even more important than just a specific temperature. Let's say you found great fishing for a couple days at the 65 degree mark. Then a relatively mild front comes in and drops the surface temperature down to 62 degrees. Even though the water temperature is still in the "ideal" range, you may find that fishing is off considerably. Fish are not completely without the ability to regulate their body temperature. They have the instinctive ability to behaviorally thermo regulate. This means they seek out areas of preferred temperature in an environment that is not at uniform temperature.
Especially in the Spring, crappie are super-sensitive to temperature variation. A sudden drop when the temperature is in the 50's is more dramatic to fish behavior than a similar drop from the 60's.
You may have to alter your tactics and try deeper water or heavier cover to counter the effects of the sinking temperatures. Also, concentrate on those northern shorelines or coves protected from northerly cold fronts and exposed to the longest period of southerly sunlight.

Keeping a close watch on water temperatures can make a weighty difference in your stringers of crappies throughout the year.

[rlsiv]

Excellent Article. Thanks for the pointers so far folks !

[CrappiePappy]

was Bruce Spangler's article #4 : http://www.crappie.com/bruce/article4.htm and definitely worth a look.

There are some "other" points to consider, as well --

White or Black Crappie as your targeted species ? (if it matters, or if one species is the dominant population)
White Crappie prefer warmer, murky waters, wood, shallow cover (but will spawn deeper if water clarity is high)
Black Crappie prefer cooler water temp ranges, clearer water, grass/weeds, and shallow cover ... and will come into spawning areas sooner, sometimes more shallow than White Crappie, and stay shallower for a longer period post-spawn.
The larger (older year class) fish are usually the first ones coming in.
The males are on the banks first ... but, the females will hold off aways from the actual spawning beds, and stage at a deeper water depth. They will then make random trips to different beds within the spawning area, and retreat back to the staging point.

The spawning temp ranges of both Black and White Crappie are close ... with the Black Crappie range being just a few degrees cooler. Once water temps are above 58deg, there can be some spawning taking place in the Black Crappie population. White Crappie spawning usually starts once the water temps rise above the 62deg range.

Every body of water is dynamically different (location, type, cover makeup, structure makeup and depth, etc) and the weather patterns of the region must be taken into account. But, a general rule of thumb is ... prespawn water temps ranges from 50-60deg -- spawn water temps ranges from 60-70deg. (these ranges are inclusive of both B/W species)

Crappie put on the feedbag prior to the spawning ritual, but don't actively "feed" during the actual spawning process. They will, however, protect the nesting site from any intrusion ... and attempt to run off or kill any intruding species that come into range. This includes live or artificial baits that are presented by anglers :D

Post spawn activities are ruled by the species, and the prevailing water & weather conditions ... but, generally, Black Crappie stay shallow for a bit longer period, while the White Crappie tend to return to the deeper creek channels. Eventually, both will move out to deeper haunts, but will make feeding runs back into the shallow cover areas or shallower in the water column. Early morning, late evening, and during the overnight hours, (and even on overcast days or light rain shower days) you may find them around areas with good cover/shade, or suspended shallower over deep water (especially if baitfish schools are present).

These are just generalizations, and in no way meant to be considered as rules etched in stone.

... luck2ya ... cp