Best Time of Day to Catch Crappie (All Seasons Evaluated)

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Crappie are one of the most popular gamefish in North America and deciding the right time to fish can be almost as important as where to fish. The truth is fish will feed any time of the day but feeding behavior spikes at specific time slots for crappie on a daily basis. Crappie respond very favorably the certain environmental factors often influenced by the time of day.

What is the best time of day for crappie fishing? The best time of day for crappie fishing is just after sunrise as well as an hour before sunset during warmer months. Nighttime can also produce good crappie fishing during warmer months.

During colder months, midday, when the air temperature is warmest, seems to work best for both black and white crappie. Read on to get much more in-depth breakdowns for each season and time period.

This article will cover in great detail when the best time of day per season will. I’ll also touch on what depth you should fish and how crappie behave and move depending on the relative time of day.

I grew up in the north and have caught more than 50 black crappie in my life. I have never hooked into a white crappie before so I had to consult other fishermen for their experience in dealing with white crappie in the research for this article.

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Best Time of Day to Catch Crappie

Early Morning

Crappie fishing is typically very good in the early morning daylight. Focus your fishing efforts on dawn until about 2 hours after sunrise. Crappie have pretty good color and depth perceptive visual abilities which allow them to see better in reduced-light situations than many of their prey items.

This gives them a distinct tactical advantage over the times they hunt. Early morning water is also much cooler than it will be later in the day so crappie will be willing to leave cover and venture out chasing down minnows and aquatic insects.

At night crappie typically will move into shallower water chasing bait. You can expect crappie to be much closer to shore in the morning than they will be once the sun really gets overhead.

This means people without boats can catch crappie from the bank and from docks. During the early morning, crappie can be found in water 4-12 feet deep usually mid-way up in the water column.

As the morning creeps along, you will start noticing the crappie moving further from shore and into deeper water.

By 10 am, crappie are usually going to be too far from shore to fish without a boat unless you can find some prominent cover with both depth and a ready food source.

Late Afternoon

Crappie fishing is also very good in the late afternoon/evening time frame right up until dusk. Focus your fishing efforts on fishing from about 2 hours before sunset until just after sunset.

Crappie have pretty good color and depth perceptive visual abilities which allow them to see better in reduced-light situations than many of their prey items.

This gives them a distinct tactical advantage over the times they hunt. Late afternoon water is also much cooler than it will be later in the day so crappie will be willing to leave cover and venture out chasing down minnows and aquatic insects.

As the sun gets lower in the evening sky, the sunlight becomes less oppressive to fish. This will incite plankton and small minnows to start venturing out of the shade and feeding. Small baitfish will draw in bigger predators like crappie which love minnows.

Crappie fishing is usually pretty good in the late afternoon right up until dusk once the last remaining light leaves the western sky.

Crappie will also start moving closer to the shoreline again. Near sunset, sometimes you can find crappie in 10-15 feet of water or even shallower. As insect activity above the surface picks up, this can really stir up fish feeding activity beneath.

Nighttime

Crappie fishing at night can be very rewarding. Crappie will feed into the night provided there is available food and enough light to allow a crappie’s sensitive eyes to detect prey.

Crappie will have a lot of difficulty locating food on dark nights with minimal to no moonlight. On full moon nights, crappie have a good chance of finding prey in the upper 1/3 of the water column.

Typically, moonlight can only penetrate the top couple feet of water. This means anything below 4-5 feet down will be near-complete darkness. Crappie will be feeding in the couple feet of water on minnows and insects.

Many crappie fishermen have experienced excellent night fishing using artificial lights to draw in crappie. Headlamps and lanterns can be useful.

Many fishermen will lower chem sticks and other light sources down into the water column which will attract small fish and ultimately crappie to feed.

Floating LED lights can be an awesome way to bring in insects that attract fish. Just remember, the more insects you draw in, your greater chance of getting eaten by mosquitoes so this is a balancing act.

The light will act almost like moonlight and really light up the upper water column which crappie and other sharp-eyed hunters can thrive feeding in.

It is also important to note on full moon nights, crappie will feed throughout the night. This means the morning after a full moon, crappie fishing ca be really slow since crappie will have been feeding all night and are now likely full.

I typically recommend early morning crappie fishing but you can sleep in on the morning after a full moon and not feel bad for it.

If you want to learn everything there is no know crappie fishing, you need to read my complete guide to catching more and bigger crappie. It is jam-packed with proven tips and tactics to locate and catch crappie year-round.

Best Time for Each Season

Spring

When fishing early in spring for crappie, these fish will still be behaving as they were in the winter meaning they will be active during the warmest parts of the day since the water is still cold.

This means fishing for crappie in the early afternoon. As the season progresses and water warms, you can now start fishing for crappie in the early morning, late afternoons, and at night.

The spawn can be an excellent time to fish for crappie. Crappie will offshore in deeper water during the day but can venture very close to shore at night. This can be prime time for good crappie fishing.

A great place to catch nighttime crappie during the spring is in a well-lit marina. Crappie will be drawn to the abundance of food the steady light sources lure in. You won’t need any artificial light source as the light from the marina will cast plenty.

Summer

During the summer, fish for crappie during the cooler parts of the day as they will be docile during the midday sun. Early morning, late afternoon, and throughout the night on well moon-lit nights can be awesome.

Crappie will thrive hunting in these reduced-light conditions where their eyesight gives them a tactical advantage over their prey.

During these cool time periods, crappie will also be much closer to shore in shallower water. During the day, crappie are down deep but when the water cools, crappie move in shallower to feed. This means anglers without a boat can catch crappie from the bank or dock.

Fall

During the early fall, crappie will still be active in the cooler parts of the day when there is reduced light conditions. I wouldn’t bother fishing for crappie at night but sunrise and sunset can be awesome times to fish for crappie.

During the fall, crappie are aggressively feeding to put on fat stores in preparation for the leaner feeding winter months. Now is the perfect time to really catch some slabs.

Later in the season, start fishing in the warmer parts of the day like midday and early afternoon. Crappie will become active when the water temperature is warmer since the water temperature is typically colder than they prefer.

Winter

During the winter, focus all of your fishing efforts on that midday/early afternoon time slot. This is when winter slabs will be out in full force trying to feed in a relatively short time window each day. The remainder of the day, crappie won’t feed much.

Remember, even though crappie will feed during the warmer part of the day in the winter, their bites will be sluggish. You will need to fish these panfish slow if you want to catch any.

Rarely will winter crappie go out of their way to chase a lure. You need to slow way down and bring the lure right to them.

Worst Time of the Day to Catch Crappie

Like most fish, crappie really slow down during the midday heat. From around 11 am until 4 pm, the sun really beats down on the fish in a given lake.

As a result, during the late spring and summer, crappie tend to hold very tight to cover and structure and only venture out slightly to grab a passing insect or minnow before retreating back to the shade.

Crappie lack eyelids as we know them so they can’t squint for relief from the bright sun. This means they need to be in shade in order to see clearly and also to protect their sensitive eyes from the sun.

Believe it or not, during the coldest times of the year, crappie fishing can become very good during the midday sun period. This is because fish are trying to find the warmest water possible to become more comfortable and chasing their food.

As such, early afternoon seems to be when the daily temperature is highest which can cause a spike in feeding activity among crappie and a whole host of other species. If you are ice fishing or fishing in the south during the winter, focus on the early afternoon and you’ll find a better bite.

Best Time of Year for Crappie

I would say the warmer months are the best times of year to catch crappie. During the late spring, crappie are engaged in the spawn but then feed aggressively before and after.

During the summer months, crappie will feed all day long but really bite well early morning, late afternoon, and into the night if it’s a full moon out.

The fall time can see crazy crappie feeding action as crappie eat vigorously to pack on weight and fat stores in preparation for the leaner winter months when they will slow way down and become more sluggish.

Worst Time of Year for Crappie

It’s hard to really pick a bad time of the year for crappie fishing but crappie do slow way down during the winter. They will still feed and actively hunt but their movements become much more lethargic.

Unlike during the summer months when you can typically have good crappie fishing all day long especially early morning, late evening, and nighttime when the water temperatures are coolest, during the winter, the best chance for catching crappie will be early afternoon. It is during this time the air and corresponding water temperatures will be warmest.

A rise in water temperature, even by a couple of degrees, can spike crappie feeding behavior during the cold winter months. When you are fishing for chilled crappie, it is important to remember to slow way down.

Crappie will be willing to bite but they don’t want to chase down food. Their bites will be sluggish and often-times non-committal. Just makes sure you jig your minnows, mealworms, or spinners slower.

But you will want to speed up your reaction time for your hooksets. Because crappie won’t decisively bite a bait now, it is important to nail that hookset the very moment you feel a bite.

Best Crappie Bait

Berkley Gulp! Minnow

Everyone knows that crappie love munching on shad and minnows. If you can’t get your hands on the real thing, Gulp! Minnows are your answer. They are impregnated with scent that drives crappie and other fish to strike. You can fish these just like you would live bait and crappie will grab it thinking it is a dying shad.

You could also jig it or fish it under a bobber rig under backs and above weed patches. I have found that these often outfish real shad or minnows. There is a reason these are exploding in popularity among crappie anglers in recent years. If you are serious about catching crappie, you need to try these baits out. Click here to check out the product reviews from real customers on Amazon and see how much you can save. Watch the video below to see how.

For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish Lake Okeechobee, please check out this helpful guide. Check out this article for a complete breakdown of the best weather for crappie fishing.