What Depth for Crappies?

[8point]

For Ice fishing at this time of year where should I look to find crappies? In deep or shallow water?

Thanks

-Kev

[tisosy11]

You can find them all over.

Suspended over deep holes...

I was able to find some this weekend in 14 FOW.

Think it depends on the lake and what have you...

[Deitz Dittrich]

Most of your crappies this time of the year are in your deeper basins of the lake... There will always be a few fish shallow as well though.

[Scott K]

Once it starts to warm and the snow melts off the ice, the sun shines through the ice and some fresh water flows in the lake from the snow melt. Thats when I will move to the shallow parts of the lake.

[bimbo]

how shallow? is that? i mean like 10 fow?

[8point]

Thanks guys for the replys. Burnham and I from the form do alot of ice fishing and were haveing problems locating them.

-Kev

[Deitz Dittrich]

Each lake will react differently.. Some will hit their late ice patterns sooner, some later. It all will depend on snow cover and o2 levels in the lake.

This time of the year, for as big a pain as it is... its run and gun if you want to catch fish!.. Drill lots of holes and find the fish.. To be honest they arent moving much this time of year. So if they arent where you are,,,, MOVE!

They will not find you this time of the year, you have to find them! It may mean burning up a tank of auger gass, but it will .. IT WILL reward you!

[SpearPike]

I found them sat in 6 feet of water in the weeds mixed in with sunfish and bass.

[Scott K]

I dont like to fish deep (25'+), so this time of year I will find a break, a sharp drop into the deeper water, and fish the ledge of the drop off in about 15ft. Give it another 2-4 weeks the fish will be up in the shallow water. I start about 10' and go shallower during low light times of the day. Then mid-day I may go out to 15' if the bite slows in the shallower water. After ice out, when water gets to about 50, then go shallower yet.

[Burnham]

haha well this thread started cuz i was tellin 8point that we have to fish shallow, and he was arguing deep. i am completely open to trying different things. i have heard shallow tho because the remaining weeds will be shallow and the fish will be there for oxygen...i was guessin around 7-14 ft would be good, then i was puttin down my 2 pack of reel weeds. any input will help us a lot. thank you

[ice_it_06]

Was just pondering your thoughts myself today while out on the lake. I usually consider 25' shallow but have learned most see that as deep.

For me personally I have found crappies in great abundance from 28' to 50'of water all season. The past three weeks everything has been from 28'- 38' range where I actually catch them.

There has not been one day this winter where I could not manage to catch a limit. Now "keepers" are a different story (lol) like today it took 46 fish to find (10) keepers.

I have a house in a 50' hole and another sitting @ 28'leading to that deeper hole. Although I move around in the truck alot and with the smaller house, I find 28' the shallowest I find them. In the deep hole 75% of them are caught @ that 28' - 30' level as well.

Finding crappies has not been a issue for me, but finding the 12" - 16" crappies like I hit many the first week in Jan has not been relived ever since. But have seen hundreds of 5" - 8" future slabs come up the hole.

And hundreds more others have tossed on the ice or left in holes which turns the frustration dial a bit !!

[PerchPounder]

Crappies can be tough to pattern with any consistency. I was on a pretty good bite most of this winter and found my fish anywhere from 3' to 10' all depending on weed growth. The lake I mainly fish has every type of structure you can imagine and gets down to 135' at its deepest but we find our fish shallow all winter.

[muc33]

Perchpounder and I were out two weeks ago fishing in 3 to maybe 4 feet of water and weeds and there were crappies all over. some gills mixed in and gators looking for food as well.

[FishOn!]

Finding fish in holes is, in my opinion, because you are fishing deep water. When you, or others, pull up crappies from 25-50 ft. or deeper, they are generally not going back down the hole. their air bladders are all goofed up! thats why when fishing deep, sorting is no good.

[Nozzlejocky]

Lately I've been having good luck in the 13-18 foot range, keeping my lure suspended about 4-5 ft off the bottom. But like most have said, each lake is different. Seems like the suspended fish have been more aggressive to me.