Photo By Tom Berg

Spring is finally arriving in Wisconsin. When the sun gets higher in the sky and the ice disappears, it’s time to get your boat in the water so you can enjoy the best crappie fishing of the year.

Unlike muskies or walleyes, you rarely hear about crappie creel surveys, tagging studies or stocking of fish. Luckily, crappies are doing so well in most waters that none of that is really necessary. And chances are there is a good papermouth lake closer to your home than you may realize!

In those weeks right after ice-out, crappies are moving into warmer, shallow areas looking for early weed growth and a good meal. They are slowly emerging from a winter pattern into a spawning pattern. You should still use some of the techniques that worked on late ice, such as jigs tipped with wax worms or small minnows. You’ll get your most success at night, first light or last light. Each water body has its own characteristics, but in general, a slow presentation in the warmest water will catch crappies.

A good place to start on most lakes is the north end of the lake because the sun will be beating down on it all day. This is where the warmest water tends to be early in the season. Also, remember that these fish tend to be spooky. A quiet approach and a quite presentation will serve you the best. Electric motors, quiet oars or even wading could be your best way to sneak up on a feeding school of slabs.

These waters have been known to consistently produce quality crappies year after year.

LAKE NAMEKAGON
Perhaps nobody knows the northwest corner of the state as well as guide Roger LaPenter of Anglers All in Ashland (715/682-5754). LaPenter has been guiding in the area for a long time, and is on the water nearly every day.

“I like to fish Namekagon in the spring,” LaPenter said. “If you can find the crappies, you’ll catch a lot of them because they are very aggressive that time of year.”

To find them, use one of the many lake maps available. There are cribs on the north end that can hold fish during early season.

“During the pre-spawn weeks, the crappies will be in the deeper water, with 8 feet being deep,” LaPenter said. “Later on, you can find them in 5 to 6 feet of water. They school by size, so you’ll need to go from spot to spot to find the bigger fish. I usually target the medium-sized fish because I know the big ones are going to spawn in a few weeks, and I try to never take a female.”

Crappies average around 12 inches in Namekagon, but larger ones up to 16 inches can be caught. The water is generally clear, especially early in the season, but it can appear dark at times because of the dark bottom. LaPenter suggested brighter colored jigs in orange and chartreuse tipped with wax worms or minnows.