Crayfish
CommonFreshwater
A bottom-dwelling freshwater crustacean, not a fish, but a regular catch for anglers who bait a small trap or drop a baited line into rocky cover. Most active after dark and quick to scuttle backward into a crevice when disturbed.
Profile
- Fight: 1/10
- Trophy: 1/10
- Wariness: 1/10
- Abundance: 9/10
- Aggression: 1/10
- Table: 6/10
- Typical weight
- 0.1–0.3 lbs (0.0–0.2 kg)
- Record
- 1.3 lbs (0.6 kg)
Season
- Jan: 15%
- Feb: 15%
- Mar: 30%
- Apr: 50%
- May: 70%
- Jun: 80%
- Jul: 80%
- Aug: 75%
- Sep: 60%
- Oct: 40%
- Nov: 22%
- Dec: 15%
Seasonality shown is typical for temperate North America — your local waters may vary.
Time of day
- 12 AM: 70%
- 1 AM: 78%
- 2 AM: 82%
- 3 AM: 85%
- 4 AM: 80%
- 5 AM: 55%
- 6 AM: 25%
- 7 AM: 12%
- 8 AM: 8%
- 9 AM: 6%
- 10 AM: 5%
- 11 AM: 5%
- 12 PM: 6%
- 1 PM: 6%
- 2 PM: 7%
- 3 PM: 8%
- 4 PM: 12%
- 5 PM: 20%
- 6 PM: 35%
- 7 PM: 55%
- 8 PM: 70%
- 9 PM: 80%
- 10 PM: 78%
- 11 PM: 74%
Conditions
Temp59–75°F (15–24°C)
Depth0–10 ft (0–3 m)
PressureAny
LightLow light
Lures
Tips
- A small baited trap left overnight near rocks or submerged cover is the most reliable way to catch them.
- Crayfish forage mostly after dark, so check traps or hand-lines at night for the best results.
- Look for them around rocks, submerged logs, and undercut banks where they can retreat quickly.
Live bite index for your spot
Vobbl scores today’s weather against this species’ profile, hour by hour, wherever you fish.