Where will they be next?

I finally found the crappie in a local lake and now I want to make sure to find them through spring. They were suspended in 20 foot water or deeper at about 5-7 feet from what I can calculate. Water Temps were 55 or so. The pic shows where we found the fish, about 30 feet off shore give or take 10 feet out further. There are a lot of docks in the area and all over the lake. Should I expect the fish to move into shallower water by where they were staging or is it more likely that they will be moving into that area and many others, maybe around the docks when the temps get higher?

I got my best friend hooked in catching crappie now, Monday the 1st was the first time he had ever caught one and only the 4th time I have.

I would guess there are 40 docks on the lake, well this part of Duck Lake in Westport, WA. There's 4 more lake sections and a series of canals. The canals are likely too shallow for my best friend's boat to venture into but we may just try one day.

The yellow is docks, just a few on this section of lake.

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That's the north end of that lake, the south end is very similar with more vegetation and fewer docks.


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I'd think they're likely close to their spawning grounds, and just waiting for conditions to improve. Where along that stretch of bank they'll spawn would likely be determined by the type of cover available.

It's also notable that the western banks will warm first, so the bank closest to your red circle could be a spawning area IF the map pictured is oriented North (top) ... South (bottom).

That's all good to know, thank you. I would have thought the eastern side would warm first or faster.

north eastern rocky banks are what I target often, afternoon sunshine thing , if I do not know for sure where they will be in cooler water in the spring , but to be VERY sure fish do things that befuddle even the best anglers , if they are black crappie and you have 55 degree water , they may be close to where they spawn , not sure ....
never trust a suspended crappie , they can be miles away the next day .....just saying