Do Crappies tend to head for deep water in the summertime?

In general all fish are cold blooded or as I like to call them medium animals.  Keeping this in mind we will understand where each fish will be found.  Some fish like really cold water, some like it hot and some do not care.  Crappie like cooler water but not as cold and fast as walleye, in fact Crappie seem to like cold slow water where the bait fish are really easy to catch.

So why would the great Crappie head for deep waters in the summer?  The answer is simple: cool water and most often the cool temperatures are found deeper.  But remember what controls the temperature of fishing water, sunlight and subsurface conditions.  You will never find a crappie near a hot spring but you will find a crappie where a cold stream enters a larger river.

If the waters are heating up look for the crappie in colder water, so where are the colder waters?  This is easy…  Find waters that are covered in shadows with intricate cover.  Fallen trees or root systems block light and do not allow the water temperature to rise.  I would always sink my Christmas Trees in an area that only received three or four hours of direct sunlight per day and 10 to 16 feet of water.  These areas are the best for crappie they like water slightly warmer than walleye but colder than most surface temperatures.

Not only does the intricate cover cool the water but it provides shelter for bait fish.  You will find crappie feeding right at this edge of cold water and bait fish shelter.

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