In about 10 days I am going to a resort near Park Rapids that I have been going since I was about 10 years old. It is a beautiful place and one of my favorite spots on earth...for its crystal clear water, mostly undeveloped shoreline, abundant bird and wildlife, excellent accommodations and very good and diverse fishing. But also because our family went there when I was a kid and we loved it so much that my dad and I continued to go, just the two of us, every Memorial weekend for about 10 years.

Over the years probably 90% of my 30 some trips have been from the end of May to the first 10 days of June. Along with great large and smallmouth bass fishing and an occasional muskie, we have always had incredible crappie fishing. At that time of year I know exactly where to find them and what depth and type of water they will be in. We have had huge success catching many 10, 11, or 12 to 15 inch crappies without fail. Pretty much an anglers heaven. Last fall we went up for a week in mid September and we did not see or catch a single crappie. They were not in the same old places and although we tried different areas and depths, we just couldn't find them. Now we are going on August 18th and I suspect they will not be in their early season haunts. i need to find them...i have to find them!!!

Does anyone have any useful information on what to look for when hunting late season crappies on a mostly sand and muck bottom lake with ample weed and reed beds? It is not a big lake, nor a deep lake, only 40 feet at most but does have a lot of downed timber along the shoreline in some areas.

I have caught a few muskies there by accident and pretty much always see many very large fish because of the clear water. We have decided to target them this year and see what we can come up with. The largemouth bass fishing is always very good so I can depend on that. But it would be amazing if I could find the crappies so any tips you might have for presentation or habitat to look for would be appreciated. We stumbled into the opportunity to reserve the best cabin in the place for this mid August week and are grandfathered into it as long as we reserve it before we leave. I suspect we will be doing that so that makes my crappie quest even more critical. When you are into hours of catching 12 to 14 inch crappies, life doesn't get much better.




What I do when I can't find the crappies





Found the crappies

This time of year the crappies will be suspended over deep water. If the lake is really clear the weedline will be out to 16-20 feet of water. Look for steep drop offs close to deep weeds. Put out the trolling motor and cast a flu-flu tipped with a minnow to find them. Good luck!

I am not a crappie expert, but I believe they are more scattered in late summer, than when you normally catch them in the spring. You probably aren’t going to just find a spot and catch them at the rate you would early season. On a lake I fish we find them in August in the deepest part of the lake along the deep weed edges. 15-20 feet down. Or in evening in shallower but still relating to the same area.

T

Thanks to both of you, this will point me in the right direction. Hope I find them.

Thanks to both of you, this will point me in the right direction. Hope I find them.

Nice pixs, really nice Crappies. Could it be that if everyone is having the success you've had and keeping stringers of large fish that's why you can't find them? Not being judgmental just asking. Keep some eaters and release the breeders. Takes a long time to grow a large Crappie up north. Just saying.

And remember, you need to use the right lure:

I found these in 30 ftw.next to flooded timber. They were only 15 deep at mid day. Not in the timber but 20 away from it.
I'm a firm believer in the saying. 90% of fish are caught by 10% of fisherman. Do I keep stringers of nice fish like lindy. Damn right I do.
Do I do it every day. NO...
Sometimes you have to think outside the box to be in that 10%.

Catching them in the spring when they're spawning or staging spoils you for the rest of the year.

Some good advice up above. I'd just add that they're predators, looking for schools of smaller fish. Probably in a lot of the same places a walleye would be, just at different times of the day. I'd look for mid lake humps and submerged islands and then assume they're suspended out off of those. Down here in reservoirs, I look for flooded timber in deep water, but you're not going to have that up there. Good luck.

Quacker1: "Nice pixs, really nice Crappies. Could it be that if everyone is having the success you've had and keeping stringers of large fish that's why you can't find them? Not being judgmental just asking. Keep some eaters and release the breeders. Takes a long time to grow a large Crappie up north. Just saying."

Quacker, half expected this response from someone. I am 62 years old and have fished all of my life with decent success. I rarely keep fish but once in a great while i want a good meal and maybe a couple to take home. These 2 pics are rare stringers kept in literally hundreds of days of fishing this lake in the 50 some years I have been going there.

So, in answer to your question, no i don't think that is a problem. I still go early season sometimes and still have the same luck, they are just a lot harder to find late season, hence the reason for my post.

Some people abuse the resources that we have so, despite my initial reaction to your post, i appreciate your concern. Remember, this is one of my favorite spots on earth, I am not going to abuse it. Plus i doubt everyone is having the same luck we are, the crappie fishing isn't even on the radar on this lake, luckily for us.

Again, tonight buddy and i kept 17 10 inch crappie. Fishing in 30 fow. Only 12 ft down. Look for suspended fish next but not in structure..

The water temp was 78°.


3 hrs. 5-8pm
Different lake
Different strokes

As long as people are within the limits of the law....have fun and enjoy it. (Life)

Speaking of abuse---



MN couple go over Crappie limit by 253....

In another article about the same infraction - it said the max fine was $3000. What? IMO- these two individuals should have there hunting/fishing rights taking away for life. Sickening and Selfish.

Oh so true wolf...........

I think I read about this couple weeks ago...
Abuse it... I got nothing for you....can't really think of their names.....

Bottom line. Lindy,,, I think toward the deepest part of the lake or next to it...
Water gets churned up more thus cooler ,than coves.

Oh so true wolf...........

I think I read about this couple weeks ago...
Abuse it... I got nothing for you....can't really think of their names.....

Bottom line. Lindy,,, I think toward the deepest part of the lake or next to it...
Water gets churned up more thus cooler ,than coves.

Lindylair, glad I didn't disappoint you. I didn't intend to offend anyone, just see to may people down here abuse the resource. Sometimes it seems it's more important to see how may limits get caught verses just having fun and taking some home for dinner. I practice catch and release almost exclusively for one primary reason, no one in my family eats fish except me, really of sucks.

If I offended you I apologize, I should have known the people here are more responsible.

Quacker, thanks, I was not offended. Just thought someone would comment about the stringer of large fish. I feel the same way, folks who do that all the time or worse are hurting fishing for all of us.

It just wouldn't have made any impact though to post a photo of a bunch of 7 to 8 inch crappies:)

Ditto what others said. Deepest water near where you caught them, they'll be suspended, use your electronics. They might even be moving around so be prepared to troll a bit if bite quits. On a rare occasion they show up in shallows in evening with other predators.

If I had caught those brutes I would have posted a picture as well.

I was going to make a smart as- comment about 7" or 8" but at my age it wouldn't be appropriate. :)

I don't know much about catching them in open water, but they are a lot easier to target in the winter. Here's a video series of me catching some great late-ice crappie action in the BWCA last spring:


Late Ice Crappie Fishing BWCA

Yeah, agreed with the others. You're not going to have easy pickings like in the spring. Use the crap out of electronics...suspended fish in the main basin....over humps and points. When you find a school it'll be game on but you might need to keep moving a bit to stay on them.

But you might be in 20-30' or more but they're only halfway down.

I've been on a crappie bite on a lake with a sandy/muck bottom, but in early October. We were marking schools cruising at 30-35' in 50' of water, but couldn't get a bite on slip bobbers set around that depth. We saw a couple arches on bottom (possible walleye), so we decided to deadstick fatheads on bottom for a bit and see if we could draw any interest. We did, but from crappies. We ended up catching a solid fish dinner's worth in about an hour.

ericinely: "I don't know much about catching them in open water, but they are a lot easier to target in the winter. Here's a video series of me catching some great late-ice crappie action in the BWCA last spring:



Late Ice Crappie Fishing BWCA


"

Please edit out the name of the lake on your YouTube video

ericinely: "I don't know much about catching them in open water, but they are a lot easier to target in the winter. Here's a video series of me catching some great late-ice crappie action in the BWCA last spring:



Late Ice Crappie Fishing BWCA


"

I don't think there is a bad time for crappies year round. Spring in shallow, 4' or so. Summer, simple, in shade somewhere most of the time under docks. Fall further out in deeper water.
At least that's what I have learned on our lakes in So. Mn. It may not be true other places.