Winter Crappie

Ok, so having not really chased crappie during the winter months due to hunting, I'm struggling on where to start. I've been watching several videos, but most if not all are telling me to start driving around and look for fish on the SI.

They can either be shallow or deep depending on how they feel, no rhythm or reason that I can see. Just go looking for dots

I'm fixated on fishing brush piles, so thats where I've been looking first. Not really a timber fisherman per say, but willing to try that as well. My lake has one bridge,a river and lots of submerged trees (Stillhouse Hollow)


Any suggestions other than tow?

Thanks

They are going to be in 2 areas during the winter. In the creeks or down by the dam in deep water. They could be hugging cover or suspended in either location depending on conditions. I prefer the creeks to get out of the weather.

To explain a little further, the crappie move into the creeks seeking Shad that are there feeding on plankton that comes in with the winter rains.

Ideally the water in the creeks feeding the lake is warmer than the lake in general as the sun warms the shallow creeks on warm days before it reaches the lake.

Wintertime crappie are looking for the warmest water available and Shad.

The deepest water in the lake will also be a degree or two warmer than the rest of the water column as winter progresses. So most of the fish in the lake will migrate to the dam area at some point. Then they may feed but usually in my experience they don't eat much food per day and are almost in hibernation mode.

Some lakes like Lake of the Pines is famous for producing huge numbers of Crappie near the dam, so it doesn't fit the traditional winter pattern of feedeing.

Give me a call and come up fishing with me one weekend. Were catching limits right now day after day.

Deep water, they’re more hump, ledge, and creek channel/river channel oriented in winter, often times near the dam on most lakes. Creek bite is mostly a waste of time, every once in a while you get lucky and find a creek with fish, but the majority of fish will be down by the dam or in the depths of the river channel. Deep water winter fishing is my favorite kind of fishing, they’re easy to find, easy to stay on top of, and usually feed readily on jigs and minnows on a dropshot. The key is to fish low and slow.

I agree. Don't bother fishing the creeks. They are a waste of time.

I am going to go try a dam saturday..

Thanks for the tips and advice, much appreciated

Yep! No fish in my Creek’s... hit the dam

Yup no fish up in the creeks this time of year.

The creeks that crappie go up are ones that are long and deep. My experiancs is you need to find a creek or the main river that fills the lake. Need to be able to go a half mile or more up from the lake and still have holes that are 10-20' deep. If your lake doesn't have these deep holes and bends removed from the main body, go to the dam. Just my 2 cents. When you find them in winter, its usually the most cosistant fishing of the year. Just be careful who you tell about it.

Rick, I used to spider rig the river channel and did pretty well in the winter. Started at the power lines and trolled up river. Tandem rig with 2 minners and heavy weight on bottom. Go slow. Haven’t done this in a few years because I am a fair weather fisherman now haha

Yes I am talking about Stillhouse and the lampasas river good luck

I have caught limits in a creek in November in 10 inches of water before. They will go up shallow creeks too.

You KNOW I’m a fair weather fisherman as well, but figured I’d give it a try since I’m here. We almost went up there a couple weeks ago, but changed our minds after the second bend. I guess I'll head for alligator ally

Thanks

On Pines when water Temps hit the 40's it's time to go to the dam.