Just a quick question for y'all, when should I start to search for crappie coming into the shallows? What month would be the best to start searching. I know a lot of you fisherman are thinking what a dumb question, but it seems that I'm always late for the spawn and only get to fish the end of it. I live in Ft. Worth and would hate to only fish the end this year. Thank you and any advise would help.

When you see cars parked at every bridge, it's on!

I start looking around the first of March.

It depends on the water temp of the lake. Bass & crappie usually start when the water temp gets above 60.

x2

On lakes, start looking for 58* on north-western shorelines with dark-colored bottom. These areas of water warm quicker due to being protected from spring northerners, receive more direct sunlight from the sun still being low in the Southern Hemisphere, and heat faster due to radiation absorbed by the dark bottom. Creeks retain heat throughout the winter, so finding these areas close creeks can really produce as well.

Good luck and tell us where your new honey holes you find are

spin fly is rite .....northern exposure banks ,coves and creeks ....
and start lookin around shamrock day .....

Late march start looking around. April is the month for sure.

the easiest way to know watch the redbud trees.

I laugh every year when you get a couple of days in the 70's in january and people get ready for the spawn! I really wish there was a law that kept anglers from keeping crappie during those months {at least every other year} When the water reaches 65 is usually a good start but 72 0r so is catchin!!!

Saw a guy on the water today. I pulled off the highway to watch for a couple of minutes. Looked like he was working a spring pattern. I thought to myself...just because today was a nice day doesn't mean the fish have gone shallow yet.

You live in Fort Worth so Mid to late Feb start looking. Unless we get some unusual major cold, cold weather that will put it off until March. Don't know about north of here or east of here but that's my two cents and that's about all it's worth too!

I go bye the dog wood tree's but will try to find a red bud tree.

when the dogwoods bloom its time to start the hunt ....
everytime i drive by one in the spring thats flowering ...
i think its shallow CRAPPIE time .....

You wait on the Dogwood for Crappie, you are going to miss a lot of the spawn.

What he said!

That is a good question...If you want to catch them shallow and from the bank the first time you go fishing, then your other bloggers are correct in their answers. But be aware you will ONLY catch the END of the spawn. If however, you want to follow them to shallow water on their spawning migration, catching them along the way, then the answer is quite different. I consider the entire migration the spawn (pre-spawn and spawn) You said you wanted to be in on the spawn, not just the end...well, i suggest you should get started spooling those reels, prepping the boat, etc. For me, I like to follow the migration route (pre-spawn) up to the spawn, the back again (but thats just me) on several lakes. I generally find the shallowest lake in the area, then go find the crappie and follow them to the shallows. When they really heat up, i am on them daily, until they start to slow a bit (when you see everyone parked by the side of the road) Then, I move to the next chosen lake find the crappie and start the routine over...Of course, this method takes more time that what you may have available, BUT i keep a freezer full of crappie, and i get to fish the spawn (Pre-, spawn, and Post) for a long period of time. Incidentally, follow my blog on Navarro Mills Update (posted yesterday) and you can follow along my progress as I attempt to find, then follow the migration. Oh yeah, you can also follow the posts on this forum, paying attention to the water depth they are hanging out in...when you see 3 ft or less consistently...then get fishing. Later