Crappie fish like to come out in the early morning so if you rise with the sun, then you’re more likely to catch a few. That is when you should start your fishing adventure though and you can go until about two hours before sunrise.
Crappie come out in droves late afternoon to early evening. Aim to start fishing 2 hours prior or after sunset. Crappie can see pretty well when the light is reduced in their environment. They’ll have the upper hand if you fish in low light conditions.
Even though crappie starts feeding in the late afternoon, they will likely continue feeding well into the evening in optimal conditions. Because crappie fish have sensitive eyes, they feel more comfortable hunting for prey at night.
Crappie fish are usually more visible on the shallow end of water during spring, in shallow water that’s up to 5ft deep. The male fish’s goal is usually to get into the shallows in order to dig out their nest.
During the summer, crappie fish can be found on the deeper end of the water because they’re no longer nesting. It’s best to fish for crappie around twilight because that’s when the crappie travel to the surface to feed.