Detroit lakes area crappies

 Otter tail county first ice crappies. Every year it is a race onto the ice to find crappies hanging in shallow holes. Although not all spots are created equal. The best shallow holes will be 12–18 feet deep (depending on the lake). The best spots will have good shallow weeds around them. This is where they will go to feed. As winter crappies progress, we see more and more fish heading to deeper holes. The deeper holes will have better oxygen, along with bugs that rise from the bottom. Minnesota winter crappies like deeper holes that are around 20–25 feet deep. They will roam this mud area during the day. As Minnesota begins to warm up, the crappies see longer daylight periods. We start to see a movement of fish into the shallows to put the feed bags on for the spawn. 

 When Minnesota water temperatures hit 58 degrees, we see a seasonal movement of crappies to the shallows. The best crappie spawning grounds will be shallow areas with reeds or brush in them. The males are first into the spawning grounds, where they will make nests, brushing the bottom with their tails. The females move in during peak temperatures.

 After the spawn, there is a movement of fish out to the first structure in deeper water.

 During the summer months we find crappies hanging in the weeds during low light periods. This gives them the best opportunity to feed.