In your personal experience when do the crappie start to move into the creeks in North Texas in bigger numbers in the winter? I'm hoping this upcoming cold front will start pushing them in. I'm thinking of heading to a creek this week if I do I'll post a report. Thanks!

GOOD LUCK

Not cold enough. Need a week or two of good 40-50 degree weather. The colder it gets, the more they'll stack up.

According to reports they are in Somerville creeks for at least a month. I imagine in North Texas they start moving in even earlier.

The cold weather this weekend should get things moving. Usually by the first frost/freeze or thanksgiving is when they start to stack up. January is the best for numbers and size.

When people say "40-50 degree weather" is that referring to highs or lows?

Eric

They were not really in Hickory Creek this week. Found a few in Pecan Creek but not stacked up yet.

Cooler Weather temps
+Cooler Water Temps = Good Fall Crappie bite

ive been catching a few in the creeks I fish since the beginning of October. The cooler the weather get, they will start stacking up more as the water cools.

Water sure looked muddy at Hickory when I went by and looked at it this week.

In general it seems that a water temp 55 or below is when they really start moving in.

I fish lake Arrowhead up in north Texas frequently. The lake has some nice Crappie in it, but unless the fish are biting hot and heavy during the spawn I fish from my boat in deep water during the winter months not the bank because the river and the creeks are pretty shallow. Another issue with Arrowhead is that the banks have a very gradual slope into the river and the creeks so there are not many deep pockets that can be accessed from the bank.I am going to try some winter time creek/river fishing at Arrowhead and I am looking for a little direction.

Do you all think the fish will be up in the river where the max depth is about 6'? What would you look for in the river that might be holding fish?

Any help or tips will be greatly appreciated.

SHADE!!!!!!!! Shade shade shade! Crappie have sensitive eyes so they will gravitate to it if possible. Once it's a little colder go to one of the creeks and start at the most downstream (last/lowest/etc) riffle and work back towards the lake. Look for bends where it is deeper, fish orient to cover so will hold tight to wood, rocks, etc.

Looking at google maps though, I don't really see any prominent creeks off of Arrowhead. Don't know if crappie run up rivers the same way as creeks either. If you want a lake for creek crappie you may want to look elsewhere.

Eric

Jimmy clear some of your PM`s

Eric they do run up rivers! Papa Peck catches them all winter long between roberts and lewisvile. He has several starting points in that long stretch, if one is not holding, he moves till he finds em. I have never been up there with him, although I think he got tired of inviting me, but the pics are proof enough for me. He knows how to find em.