Ideal Temperature

[Captain Hook]

What sort of water temperature should we be looking for, for Spawning and/or ideal Crappie fishing? While I'm at it, what's the size, limit, and season for this year? I'll be back for the Summer, in a week or so, and am looking forward to some nice fillets...:D

[joejv4]

size is still 9", open all year, limit is still 25.

Water temps need to come up a bunch still for the spawn. I think when it gets close to 60 is about right. I like to time it by when my dogwood starts to bud. That's generally when the early spawners get started. The weather pattern is pretty similar to last year, so you'll be back in plenty of time. I was catching spawners at the end of May last year.

From what I saw last Saturday, they seem to be actively feeding, in areas adjacent to where we get them during the spawn, so they may be staging now. Still can't tell males from females by color yet - the males aren't sporting their black courting clothes yet.

Keep checking the state forum, I'll be posting after every outing.

Joe