For many local anglers, the first fishing outing of the year will be to try their luck at some spring crappie fishing. The weather patterns this spring have been inconsistent, with a lot of cold fronts. The next period of extended warm weather that we receive will mean one thing. The remaining ice will melt and the sun’s rays will quickly warm up the water temperatures in our area lakes’ shallow, muddy-bottomed bays. The crappies in our lakes will migrate into those bays and the anglers will follow. Fisheries biologists at the Fergus Falls DNR Fisheries office often receive comments from concerned anglers and lakeshore owners this time of year about anglers harvesting crappies from their spawning beds in these bays. Comments often include posting these bays to no fishing or limiting the number of crappies harvested. The DNR’s long-term crappie population data from area lakes indicates that there is no biological justification for restricting angling opportunities this time of year and that the amount of crappie harvest that occurs in these bays is not having a negative biological impact.
Perhaps one of the biggest misconceptions among anglers is that the crappies are using these bays in the spring as spawning areas, when in reality, that is not the case. Crappies spawn when the water temperature reaches the mid-to-upper 60-degree range. In most years, this does not occur until sometime in June. Crappies, as well as other warm-water fish species such as largemouth bass and sunfish, are attracted to these shallow bays because the water temperature in these bays can be 10 to 15 degrees warmer than in the main lake, but certainly not in the 60-degree range. The warmer water allows for an increased metabolism for all forms of aquatic life including turtles, frogs, aquatic insects and plankton, as well as fish. The newly hatched insects begin to attract schools of minnows, and before long the hungry crappies will follow. The crappies don’t move into the bays to spawn, they go to eat!
Another misconception is that the entire crappie population is congregated in these bays, when in reality, only a proportion of the crappie population is utilizing them. A majority of the crappie population will remain in the main lake and not move into the bays. These crappies will often stage in deeper water on the outside of areas where they eventually will spawn. The amount of suitable crappie spawning habitat in the bays is usually limited. The dominant emergent aquatic plant in the bays in generally common cattail and the bottom substrate is primarily muck. Crappies prefer to spawn in parts of the lake where there are areas of the emergent aquatic plant hardstem bulrush (reeds) or woody debris in conjunction with a firm bottom substrate. These areas are generally prevalent in the main basins of our area lakes, not in the bays.
DNR crappie population data indicate that healthy crappie populations exist in many of the local lakes. Abundance is generally above-average and size structures are good. Age data indicate that successful crappie reproduction is occurring consistently and that strong year classes are being produced periodically. Spring time crappie fishing provides angling opportunities when other gamefish seasons are closed and harvest is having minimal impact on the overall health of the local crappie populations.
Questions or comments concerning local fisheries resources can be directed to MNDNR Fisheries at (218) 671-7930 or e-mail at fergusfalls.fisheries@state.mn.us
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