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Ice Belt Crappies |
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Winter has melted away like Frosty the Snowman and early spring crappies are now in play |
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By Jim Edlund |
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MUSKEGON, Mich. (April 21, 2025) – With ice off our lakes in the upper Midwest, it’s crappie time. For anglers farther south, it’s been the deal for some time. But up north, with water temps around 50 degrees, crappies are moving shallow to feed and eventually spawn. The movements are signaled by water temperature and length of day; crappies know internally when the time is right to move from the deeper-water basins they inhabited during the winter. In shallow water areas, life takes off first thanks to runoff and sun exposure. This brings in clouds of baitfish to feed on micro-invertebrates and bugs. So, as soon as the ice goes out, on warm days, crappies will move into bays to feed, but not necessarily spawn – yet. That comes later, typically when the water temperature reaches around 58-62 degrees. And throughout the southern Midwest region, we should be getting close to that. |
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The author encourages harvesting darkened male crappies rather than large breeding females. |
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Where To Find ‘Em Focus your efforts on northern, northwestern, and northeastern shorelines and off-shoots of the main lake – the first areas to warm up. That could also mean backwaters and marinas on rivers or creek channels and coves on reservoirs. Boat harbors and areas with docks warm quickly, too, which can be a couple degrees warmer than the surrounding lake or reservoir. The main lake may be cold, but certain areas will be significantly warmer and hold crappies. But don’t overlook southern, eastern, or western bays. You must look at each individual body of water to find out where the best geography is. There may be moving water coming into these areas, too, and they will foster life during the early open-water period. Since vegetation hasn’t really taken off yet, it’s important to seek out warmth-holding cover that will also attract crappies. Case in point, this past weekend my buddies and I fished a lake with numerous bays and found a load of crappies in 2-4 feet of water close to large landscaping stones and fallen willow branches – cover that held heat. The same goes for old wild rice, pencil reeds, and bulrushes – even last year’s dead cabbage, milfoil, and coontail. And, of course, laydowns. Sunken wood – whether they’re larger logs or brush – hold the sun’s heat, provides cover, and draws in food well before submergent vegetation begins to grow. |
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Watch the Weather Much of early spring crappie movements can depend on the weather. Early warming periods often mean a jump-start to traffic into the shallows, long before there’s any vegetation. And while you might be fishing in a t-shirt one day, you’ll be wearing ice fishing gear the next. If there’s one thing that’s consistent about early season crappie fishing is the unpredictable spring weather. And on that cherished day off from work, you may have to deal with a cold front. No problem. Simply move out a little deeper and use your electronics to find suspended fish. The fish don’t generally move far from primo shallow habitat. Look for the closest, deeper cover like last year’s weedline, wood, a steep break, rock, or brush. Crappies will hold to these before the weather stabilizes and they push shallow again. |
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Early Season Rigs The key to early-season crappies? Finesse. A lot of times, crappies will hesitate at larger summertime jigs and plastics, opting for ice fishing size baits or smaller versions of the jigs you might use during summer. Smaller Bobby Garland Overbite Sickle Jig Heads and soft plastic bodies or diminutive hair jigs threaded with a couple waxworms typically outproduce larger baits and minnows during this early period. Optimized with a slip bobber or fixed float and you have everything you need. When it comes to rods and reels, ultra-light is best. A 5’ – 7’ rod with a soft tip is best and a smaller 500-1000 size spinning reel spooled with 4- to 6-pound monofilament or superline with a similar test fluorocarbon leader on the latter. I favor a 5’ 10” soft-tipped Z-Man Drew’s Ultimate Ned Rig Rod and DAIWA KAGE LT 1000 spinning reel for their versatility in spring as a crappie combo and later in the season as a finesse bass spinning outfit. And remember, you don’t have to “set” the hook. Simply lean into the fish with the rod and reel; that will keep metal in the fragile paper lips of the crappie and prevent misses or ripped lips. |
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The Spawn Invariably, by the time water temps reach the high 50s and low 60s, crappies have taken up residence in shallow water, seeking out cover for the spawn, like areas with pencil reeds/bulrushes or a mixture of other vegetation all over harder bottom with quick access to deeper water. Once temps hit the low 60s, crappies have selected their spawn habitat, males making nests, with females nearby. And once everything is optimal, females come in quickly, drop their eggs and the dark-colored males linger, guarding the nests while feeding at the same point. The female fish will spend a couple days recuperating from the metabolic drain of the spawn, typically moving just outside the weeds to a point or nearby deeper cover. But, once rested, they will be ready to eat. Speaking of conservation, a good practice is to keep the males, releasing larger 12-inch and over females to grow and continue the spawn cycle the following year. With black crappies you will notice that males are darker in hue than females. Post-Spawn Males will vacate shallow nesting areas for outer weedbeds after days to weeks in shallow water. Much can be dependent on the amount of forage available in the shallows, which the crappies will inevitably follow. On lakes with a lot of vegetation, crappie fishing can get difficult, but know that the fish are still there, only buried in the greenest coontail and cabbage near deep water. Concentrate on these areas, cover water, and you will be successful, even if it’s only picking up one or two fish every spot you hit. |
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