Crappie
CommonFreshwater
Suspends in loose schools around brush piles, docks, and standing timber, moving shallow to spawn and deeper the rest of the year. Bites hardest at dawn, dusk, and overcast light, when a small jig or minnow worked slowly outfishes anything fast.
Profile
- Fight: 2/10
- Trophy: 2/10
- Wariness: 3/10
- Abundance: 8/10
- Aggression: 4/10
- Table: 8/10
- Typical weight
- 0.3–1.1 lbs (0.2–0.5 kg)
- Record
- 5.5 lbs (2.5 kg)
Season
- Jan: 20%
- Feb: 20%
- Mar: 35%
- Apr: 60%
- May: 70%
- Jun: 55%
- Jul: 40%
- Aug: 40%
- Sep: 50%
- Oct: 45%
- Nov: 30%
- Dec: 20%
Seasonality shown is typical for temperate North America — your local waters may vary.
Time of day
- 12 AM: 10%
- 1 AM: 8%
- 2 AM: 6%
- 3 AM: 6%
- 4 AM: 8%
- 5 AM: 30%
- 6 AM: 70%
- 7 AM: 90%
- 8 AM: 60%
- 9 AM: 30%
- 10 AM: 20%
- 11 AM: 15%
- 12 PM: 15%
- 1 PM: 15%
- 2 PM: 20%
- 3 PM: 30%
- 4 PM: 55%
- 5 PM: 85%
- 6 PM: 95%
- 7 PM: 65%
- 8 PM: 30%
- 9 PM: 18%
- 10 PM: 14%
- 11 PM: 12%
Conditions
Temp55–68°F (13–20°C)
Depth3–20 ft (1–6 m)
PressureStable
LightLow light
Lures
Tips
- Target brush piles, docks, and submerged timber where crappie hold in schools.
- Low light — early morning, evening, or overcast skies — triggers the best bite.
- A small jig or live minnow fished slowly beats a fast retrieve every time.
Live bite index for your spot
Vobbl scores today’s weather against this species’ profile, hour by hour, wherever you fish.