Spring Crappie Fishing Tips for Beginners: Where to Fish and What Lures to Use

Spring is my favorite time to get after crappie because they’re schooled up, close to the shore and aggressive. It’s the perfect time to wet a line, whether you’re a new angler or a seasoned vet.

In this article, we’ll discuss where to begin your search for crappies and the most efficient ways to catch them. I’ve done my best to remove all the confusing fishing jargon or explain what the jargon means. As always, the best place to start is in the regulations, ensuring you’re up-to-date on the latest fishing laws and regulations.

Illinois Crappies

Two species of crappies can be found in Illinois, although hybrids and variable color patterns of both species occur. To learn more about the white crappie (Pomoxis annularis) and black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus) visit I Fish Illinois.

Where to Find Crappies In The Spring

Crappies experience a lot of change this time of year (March-May). The water is warming, days are getting longer, and it is spawning season. All of this change (primarily the drive to spawn) influences these fish to constantly be on the move. The smallest crappies tend to spend most of their time around shallow, hard structures, such as cliff banks and brush and rock piles.

Crappies need a hard surface to lay their eggs on. Otherwise, their eggs will sink into the mud and suffocate.

In the spring, I’ve caught countless crappies in areas such as coves with standing timber, shallow rocky bottom creeks, around cliff banks, out of shallow brush piles near the shore (even a single dead limb) and off the end of a dock (primarily ones with brush piles under them).

These locations are the typical spawning grounds, so when the water hits the high 50s and low 60s, these are the best spots to look for crappie while fishing.

Another excellent place to begin fishing is what many anglers call transition areas. These are spots where the terrain is transitioning from muddy to rocky; water is transitioning from murky to clear or deep to shallow. Crappies will use such locations to stage (hang out) before and after spawning, especially when some type of cover or structure is present.

Once the fish have spawned and the water continues to warm, they move back to deeper brush piles in the lake or creek and river channels, where they spend most of the summer.

Best Crappie Setups

A 5- to 7-foot ultralight or light spinning rod, 500- or 1000-sized reel (smaller than the typical bass reel), and 4- to 8-pound monofilament or 8 – to 15-pound braided line are a great start for any angler.

Best Crappie Baits and Lures

If anyone tries to tell you there is a better crappie bait than live minnows, they are lying. Live minnows are the best crappie bait, hands down. So, if you’re looking to catch a bunch of crappies as quickly as possible, then get some minnows, slap them on a size 6 to 2 straight shank crappie hook (I prefer to hook them through the back just below the fin as they live longer this way) with a slip or clip cork (bobber) and start reeling them in.

To change things up, I also enjoy trying various lures to catch crappie. A few lures I consistently catch crappies on during the spawn are Super Dupers, crappie jigs (an assortment of 1/32 to 1/8oz jig heads), spinners (Roostertail or Mepps) and crankbaits.

The Super Duper is a small, spoon shaped like a “U” that I use to catch trout, bass and panfish. The main problem with the Super Duper is getting it deep enough to reach the crappie when they’re deeper than 5 to 8 inches. However, when they’re shallow, this lure mimics an injured minnow and will catch a ton of crappies. I get the most bites on the gold and silver Super Dupers.

Crappie jigs are my favorite way to catch these fish because they can be fished at any depth and work all year. Depending on the depth of the crappies at the time, I use them with or without a cork. My favorite colors are natural white with silver flake in clear water and chartreuse or purple in murky and muddy water. Don’t be afraid to experiment with various colors to find what works best for your fishing day.

Spinners are another of my favorites because they catch a wide variety of species. They do, however, tend to twist up my line if I’m not using a swivel, and they’re less than ideal for deeper water. When the crappies are aggressive, there’s no better lure than a Roostertail or Mepps spinner because they imitate an injured minnow. They’re great in murky and muddy water because of the vibration they give off.

One lure most crappie anglers overlook is the crankbait. I love tossing a small fire craw-colored crankbait over the top of a brush or rock pile to catch some aggressive crappie. I’ve also caught crappie while using chartreuse or pink crankbait.

The great thing about spring crappie fishing is that you don’t need much gear and a bunch of fancy lures to catch them. A crappie rod and reel with some jigs/minnows, corks and hooks is all you need to get started.

Now, all you need to do is find a place to fish!

My Top Crappie Locations in Illinois

Here are some of my recommendations of the best crappie waterways the Prairie State has to offer:

• Rend Lake
• Lake of Egypt (public bank access is limited)
• Kinkaid Lake (great for skilled crappie anglers)
• Crab Orchard Lake (bank access and ramps provide suitable fishing)
• Shabbona Lake
• Mississippi River backwaters (Pool 13)
• Clinton Lake

There are many other excellent crappie fishing spots all over Illinois that can be found at I Fish Illinois.

Last Cast

Of course, you can make crappie fishing much more complicated with boats and sonar, but that’s all unnecessary during the spring.

Spring crappie fishing is the Super Bowl for bank anglers, so don’t hesitate to get out there and catch some. If you’re struggling to catch something, don’t hesitate to reach out to an angler who’s reeling them in; most are happy to help a new angler.

Good luck, I hope to see you reeling in your limit!