Rising water

[eriwilnel]

As lake water levels rise due to heavy rain amounts, how do the Crappie react this time of year? I fish in North East TX and prior to all the rainfall the crappie were in the shallows. Fished the shallows after the lake had risen a good 4 foot and caught one lone Crappie in about 3 foot of water. I backed off the shallows and fished live minnows and jigs in about 10 ft of water in various locations, NADA. Have they moved into deeper water or should I continue to fish the shallows? Anyone else experiencing the same thing after all the rain?

[Eager Beaver]

If the lake level is coming up slowly they will move out to the first break unless the water is coming up fast and then they will move out to a major breakline (15-20ft)or if the channel is close they will move to it until the lake level stops rising. Then if the level stabilizes for a short time they will move way shallow into the new shallows. If it is during the spawn they won't move into the new shallows to spawn but will spawn in deeper water. This is what I have noticed in the Midwest but it may be different in the South, but fish are fish and will do the same most places. EB

[Arkie John]

Here's what has worked for me so far. My home lake is 8' high right now from normal pool. I have found that the fish on the beds when the high water hits will, many times just follow the lake into the buckbrush. Some stay on the bottom where they bedded before the high water event.

Generally I think high water scatters them and that puts me in a search mode. Last week, with the water 6' higher than normal, I went to the buckbrush and put a jig/minnow combo under a float at about 18" - 2' and caught some really nice fish.

Catching limits in these conditions is (for me) unrealistic, but I can still find some here, there and yonder, if I persist.

aj