Originally Posted by
CrappiePappy
Find the deep banks from contour maps or download the Navionics Webapp page and see if it has contours on your lake. Deep banks will have contour lines very close together & close to the bank ... then your only problem will be getting access to that bank. Or you could always use a 1/16oz weight, cast it out and count how long it takes to hit bottom. 1/16oz weight usually falls at ~1ft/sec.
Downed trees are usually a magnet for Crappie, and the bigger they are & the deeper they reach, the better. Just consider using a weedless jighead if you're fishing them ... especially from the bank.
Weedbeds that are emerging or fully grown are also good places because they offer shade, ambush points, and higher oxygen levels. Dying vegetation depletes oxygen, so they're usually not such good places, alone.