Winter Fishing - How to Locate Crappie in Winter!

Can't catch one for nothin'! They shut down. Tight lipped. They ain't bitin'. Lethargic if you know what I mean. Ah yes, the depression of winter panfishing. It is now that time of the year when crappie and other panfish go into a catatonic state, or, so it seems. Especially, if you happen to live in one of the northern states. All lakes go through seasonal slow down periods regardless of size, shape, depth, or location. During this time, many anglers simply give up and put their gear away rather than develop a plan to combat this phenomenon. So, exactly what is it that is going on? What do you need to do in order to locate crappie in winter? Find the comfort zone!

Long nights, short days, snow, and colder temperatures cause the weeds to die and start to decay which depletes oxygen levels. When this happens all the critters like minnows, plankton, crayfish, nymphs, and etc. that crappie and other panfish like to feed on basically leave these once productive areas to find a comfort zone and the crappie will follow. You will need to find this comfort zone. Where exactly is this comfort zone? This can be a difficult question to answer depending on the characteristics of the lake you are fishing on. Generally speaking, as the water temperature in the shallows gradually falls closer and closer to freezing oxygen levels become more and more depleted due to the decaying weeds. This tends to push the warmer more oxygenated water, the fish, and their food sources towards the center of the lake. When this happens, the comfort zone is usually a layer of water somewhere between 6 to 12 feet deep, but this can vary depending upon the lake you are fishing. Find this comfort zone and you will be able to locate crappie in winter.

What can you do? If this is the case, then it is time to go hunting. Hunting for fish that is! Hunt down the largest basins closest to where the once productive, weedy shallow areas are that produced fish earlier in the year. Focus on the first deep break in these areas or the first deep break outside of the smaller bays, coves, or channels that are productive in the spring. A good depth finder is essential to finding these areas. Keep in mind that the fish are lethargic. Their metabolism has slowed down and you will have to keep moving around and keep jigging at different depths in order to find and catch them. This can also be a good time to consider fishing on a different lake. Something else to keep in mind is that not all lakes go through this depression at the same time. You might still be able to locate and catch some fish in the traditional shallow, weedy areas on a different lake if you don't want to go on one of these seek and find missions.