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Crappie Fishing In North Carolina

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Guide to fishing for black and white crappie.

By AA-Fishing Staff Writers

Crappie Fishing

Crappie Fishing

How To Fish For Crappie In North Carolina

Crappie, esteemed for their delectable flesh and spirited fights, present an enticing challenge for anglers of all experience levels. These schooling fish offer an array of opportunities for catching crappie throughout the year. Understanding their habits and preferred environments is key to success. Many North Carolina lakes offer both black crappie and white crappie.

Best Way To Catch Crappie

Use light tackle, with 4 to 6-pound line and small hooks (#2 or #4) for live bait. Small crappie jigs are also productive and come in a wide range of colors to work in varied water clarity. Experiment with colors until you find the one that works best that day. For drifting or trolling, 1.2 miles per hour seems to be an ideal starting point. For jigging, experiment with very slow, to aggressive action.

Crappie Fishing Options

Black Crappie

Black Crappie

Black crappie, also known as specks, are typically found in deeper, cooler waters. They are known for their distinctive black mottled patterns and their preference for submerged vegetation or woody cover. Anglers targeting black crappie often use techniques such as vertical jigging, casting with small jigs or minnow imitations, or fishing with live bait near structures. The current North Carolina state record for black crappie stands at over 4 pounds

White Crappie

White Crappie

White crappie, also known as silver perch, are known for their silvery coloration and vertical stripes. They are more tolerant of warm water and can be found in shallower areas with less cover. White crappie are often found near submerged brush, fallen trees, or rocky shorelines. Anglers targeting white crappie in North Carolina lakes often use similar techniques as with black crappie, such as jigging or using live bait. The current North Carolina state record for white crappie is just over 3 pounds.

Locating Schools Of Crappie In North Carolina

Generally speaking, warm-water lakes with submerged brush create the ideal environment for crappie. In North Carolina, Jordan Lake, Kerr Lake and Harris Lake are among the list of best opportunities for having great crappie holes. Other lakes in the state also have nice populations of crappie. Using a fish finder is the best way to locate crappie. They tend to be school up near brush (or other cover), and tend to stack vertically on the fish finder screen. Without a fish finder, use the old-fashion method of trial and error in areas with submerged brush.

Fishing Lake In The Blue Ridge Mountains

Spring emerges as the prime season for crappie enthusiasts in North Carolina, as these cunning fish engage in their annual spawning runs. During this time, they exhibit heightened activity levels, making them more susceptible to angling efforts. Crappies are particularly fond of cover, seeking refuge among submerged brush, stumps, or artificial structures. These structures provide shelter and ambush points, making them ideal hunting grounds for crappie anglers.

Top Crappie Fishing Techniques

Still-fishing, casting, trolling, and drifting are all viable methods for enticing these elusive fish. Each approach requires careful consideration of factors such as water depth, structure, and prevailing weather conditions. Anglers must adapt their tactics accordingly.

In the early hours of dawn, crappies often venture closer to the surface in search of prey. As the sun ascends in the sky, they gradually descend to depths of 5 to 10 feet or more, depending on water clarity and environmental variables. Midday finds them seeking refuge in deeper waters, often retreating to depths of 25 feet or beyond. However, as dusk approaches, crappies may once again ascend towards shallower water depths, drawn by the fading light and the promise of nocturnal feeding opportunities.

Night Fishing For Crappie

Fishing for crappie at night presents a particularly enticing prospect for crappie enthusiasts, with the cover of darkness often enhancing their feeding instincts. Warm-water lakes, in particular, offer fertile grounds for nocturnal angling excursions year round. Crappie fishing lights, strategically positioned to attract insects and smaller baitfish, can serve as beacons of opportunity for opportunistic crappies prowling in the darkness. Live minnows or crappie jigs are the top producers at night. At night, anchor over deeper water nearby brushy shorelines and allow the crappie lights to draw the fish to you.

Bait For Crappie

When it comes to bait selection, crappies exhibit a voracious appetite for a variety of offerings. Live bait, especially minnows, are often the best bait for crappie. In addition, worms and crickets are perennial favorites among many anglers, enticing bites with their natural movements and scents. Artificial lures, including jigs, spinners, and soft plastics, also hold considerable appeal, mimicking the appearance and behavior of crappie's preferred prey.

Where To Find Crappie

As for the question of where to catch crappie, the answer lies in their penchant for structure and cover. North Carolina lakes, ponds, rivers, and reservoirs all provide potential habitats for these versatile fish. Anglers should focus their efforts on areas with ample cover, such as submerged vegetation, fallen trees, and rocky outcrops. By carefully assessing the aquatic landscape and employing effective fishing techniques, anglers can unlock the secrets of crappie fishing and enjoy bountiful harvests year-round.

Crappie Fishing Video

Best Crappie Fishing Lakes In The State

It is not an overstatement to say that crappie are everywhere in North Carolina. To begin with, most major lakes in NC have healthy schools of crappie. Those lakes include Apalachia Lake, Badin Lake, Belews Lake, Blewett Falls Lake, Buckhorn Reservoir, Chatuge Lake, Falls Lake, Fontana Lake, Graham-Mebane Lake, Harris Lake, High Rock Lake, Hiwassee Lake, Hyco Lake, Jordan Lake, Kernersville Lake, Kerr Lake, King Mountain Reservoir, Lake Benson, Lake Cammack, Lake Crabtree, Lake Gaston, Lake Glenville, Lake Hickory, Lake Higgins, Lake James, Lake Mackintosh, Lake Mattamuskeet, Lake Nantahala, Lake Norman, Lake Rhodhiss, Lake Sutton, Lake Tillery, Lake Townsend, Lake Waccamaw, Lake Wylie, Mayo Reservoir, Mountain Island Lake, Moss Lake, Phelps Lake, Randleman Lake, Roanoke Rapids Lake, Salem Lake, Santeetlah Lake, Shearon Harris Reservoir, Tar River Reservoir and W Kerr Scott Reservoir. In addition crappie can be found in most ponds, rivers and smaller lakes.

Fishing Boats For Rent In North Carolina

Crappie in North Carolina

Black Crappie

Black crappie

World record: 6 lbs 0 oz

State Record: 4 lbs 15 oz

White Crappie

White crappie

World record: 5 lbs 3 oz

State Record: 3 lbs 15 oz

Click the images and links above for species details.

Top 5 crappie fishing lures for North Carolina this year

Crappie jigs work well in water from 2' to 40' deep, and are the most popular artificial lure for crappie ever. When crappie are shallow, spinners, small crankbaits and underspins are the often very productive. As they move deeper, spoons are among the top producers if the crappie are active. Review details for the best crappie rig options. Understanding the seasonal movements of crappie can enhance your chances of using these lures in the ideal locations.

The state record black crappie was caught out of Asheboro City Lake #4.

The state record white crappie was caught from a private lake in Wake County

 

Check out crappie information, by state.

AL Crappie Fishing AR Crappie Fishing AZ Crappie Fishing CA Crappie Fishing CO Crappie Fishing CT Crappie Fishing DE Crappie Fishing FL Crappie Fishing GA Crappie Fishing IA Crappie Fishing ID Crappie Fishing IL Crappie Fishing
IN Crappie Fishing KS Crappie Fishing KY Crappie Fishing LA Crappie Fishing MA Crappie Fishing MD Crappie Fishing ME Crappie Fishing MI Crappie Fishing MN Crappie Fishing MO Crappie Fishing MS Crappie Fishing MT Crappie Fishing
NC Crappie Fishing ND Crappie Fishing NE Crappie Fishing NH Crappie Fishing NJ Crappie Fishing NM Crappie Fishing NV Crappie Fishing NY Crappie Fishing OH Crappie Fishing OK Crappie Fishing OR Crappie Fishing PA Crappie Fishing
RI Crappie Fishing SC Crappie Fishing SD Crappie Fishing TN Crappie Fishing TX Crappie Fishing UT Crappie Fishing VA Crappie Fishing VT Crappie Fishing WA Crappie Fishing WI Crappie Fishing WV Crappie Fishing WY Crappie Fishing
 
The life cycle of crappie.

The more you know about crappie, the easier it will be to locate and catch them in North Carolina lakes and rivers. Visit the crappie fishing page for details about their seasonal migrations.