I’m so fired up about fall crappie fishing that I’ve put together this complete fall crappie fishing guide. We’re going to dive deep into not just the best tactics for crushing it this fall, but also why nailing down these spots now sets you up for absolute success when early ice rolls around.

Fall is my favorite time for crappie fishing, hands down. The fish school up tight, making them easy to locate and incredibly aggressive. This is prime time for finding big numbers of fish AND trophy fish. It’s also when the water is the most quiet – many people have put away their open water gear for the season – leaving the lakes quiet and un-pressured.

Don’t get me wrong, early ice fishing is fantastic too, but there’s something special about cruising from school to school in in my Smoker Craft Adventurer instead of spending half the day drilling holes and hoping you’re over fish.

I’m pumped about this season, so I’ve put together this complete fall crappie guide. We’ll cover the best tactics for crushing it this fall, plus why finding these spots now sets you up for serious success when ice fishing season arrives.

Here’s your roadmap to finding fall crappie:

• Do your homework on the lake – Know the structure before you hit the water
• Hunt the transition zones – Focus between weed lines and deeper basins where fish stage this time of year
• Trust your electronics – Even using 2D sonar can go a long ways this time of year
• Go light and finesse – Lightweight gear and lures are your best friends in fall
• Stay mobile – Use the mobility of your boat! Be ready to chase schools when they move, mark new spots, and prep for the long ice season ahead.

This isn’t just about catching a few fish – this is about understanding fall crappie behavior so you can consistently boat slabs when everyone else is struggling. Let’s get into it.

Recommended Gear:

• St. Croix Panfish Series (LF or ULF action)
• Piscifun Viper X 500 reel (use code NICOLE18)
• 4 lb test line (braid/fluoro combo or monofilament—your choice)
• Lead jigs (Crappie Mo Glo recommended)
• Tungsten jigs (Tungsten Toad)

Support this site: Use code NICOLE15 at lurenet.com for discounts on jigs and tackle. Check out my shop page at Outdoor America for additional deals.

Step 1: Find Crappie Fishing Survey/Reports First

I live in Minnesota, so the Minnesota Lake Finder website is my go-to resource for researching new crappie lakes. I study the lake breakdowns and analyze survey reports to identify waters with healthy crappie populations before planning any trips. I also focus on manageable lakes—typically 1,000 acres or less—which allows me to thoroughly cover the most promising areas where crappie are likely to hold without spreading myself too thin.

Other fishery survey reports include:

• Minnesota Survey Report
• North Dakota Survey Report
• South Dakota Survey Report
• Iowa Survey Report
• Wisconsin Survey Report

Step 2: Look For Transitions into Deep Water

In spring I find them shallow, in summer they’re often buried in the weeds, and in fall they start congregating in deeper water—making them much easier to target and locate! Early fall is all about transition areas: weedy shallow structures that drop quickly into deep water. I focus on bowls and basins—deep pockets surrounded by shallows. I’ll hit each of these spots repeatedly, checking for fish. When I mark them, I fish them.

Later fall I will go even DEEPER into the basis. Often times I will find them suspended deep in 30 + feet. Frequently these fish hangout here as we progress into the ice season as well.

Step 3: Identifying Fall Crappie on Sonar

Fall crappie fishing becomes significantly more productive when you can effectively read your sonar. As water temperatures drop, crappie form tighter schools and suspend at specific depths, making sonar technology essential for consistent success. Here’s how to identify crappie using different sonar technologies.

If you have electronics available, use them as your primary guide. No fish showing on the screen? Move to a different spot. See suspended marks or structure? That’s your target zone—focus your efforts where the electronics show activity.

2D Traditional Sonar: The Foundation

What to Look For: Traditional 2D sonar remains the most accessible, economical and very effective tool for crappie fishing. Look for these key indicators:

• Suspended horizontal lines: Crappie schools appear as thick, horizontal marks suspended between the bottom and surface
• Consistent depth: Fall crappie often stack at the consistent depths across large areas
• Clustered marks: Multiple fish create dense, layered returns that can look like thick bands
• Mid-water column positioning: Rarely on bottom, typically suspended somewhere in the column
  

Pro Tips:

• Adjust your sensitivity to clearly separate individual fish within schools
• Use a slower trolling speed (1-2 mph) to get cleaner readings
• Mark GPS waypoints when you find productive schools
  

Down Imaging (DI): Enhanced Resolution

Advanced Fish Identification: Down imaging provides superior detail and resolution, offering these advantages:

• Individual fish separation: You can distinguish between large and small fish within schools
• Fish body orientation: Larger crappie appear as more pronounced, oval-shaped marks
• School density assessment: Determine if schools are tightly packed or loosely grouped
• Structure relationship: Better visualization of how fish relate to cover or structure

What Quality Fish Look Like:

• Larger, more defined oval shapes rather than small dots
• Clear separation from smaller baitfish
• Often positioned slightly apart from the main school
• More pronounced returns indicating larger body mass
  

Real-Time Fish Behavior: Forward-facing sonar revolutionizes crappie fishing by showing:

• Live fish movement: Watch crappie swim in real-time and track their behavior
• Feeding activity: Identify active vs. inactive schools based on movement patterns
• Lure interaction: See exactly how fish respond to your presentation
• School dynamics: Observe how individual fish move within the group

Key Advantages:

• Immediate feedback on lure presentation effectiveness
• Ability to follow moving schools
• Precise bait placement within the school
• Real-time adjustment of retrieve speed and depth

Reading Active vs. Inactive Fish:

• Active schools: Fish moving vertically and horizontally, chasing bait
• Inactive schools: Tightly grouped, minimal movement, often deeper
• Feeding fish: Individual fish breaking away from the main school

Step 4: Make Sure You Use Light Gear

Next, let’s talk about gear. My favorite open water crappie gear can be defined by “ultralight”. I like light rods, reels, lines, and jigs. Below I list out my favorite fall crappie gear and why I choose it.

• Rod: St Croix Panfish Series LF OR St Croix Panfish Series ULF
  Lightweight setups are everything when you are trying to throw light baits. It also matters when you are are trying to detect the lightest bites. Get a couple rods with plenty of flex to handle these baits and you’ll be in great shape in the fall.
• Reel Pisicifun Viper X 500:
  Anything that can handle a 2lb – 4lb test can do the trick. You can find this printed on the reel itself. Anything other than that is a personal preference. I use a Viper X 500 (also doubles as a GREAT Ice rod) I picked up from a retailer that maybe cost me $50.
• Line (4lb braid/fluoro combo or mono):
  The only time I like mono? When I’m fishing for panfish. I do really like the stretch. It definitely seems advantageous when it comes to hooksets and fish detecting the lines.

Step 5: Light Jigs & Soft Hooksets

Again, I can’t emphasize enough that in most crappie fishing situations, you can’t go wrong with lightweight tackle. Heavier marabou jigs and spoons can work at times, especially in warm weather months, but I still find the best way to guarantee success is to rely on light jigs. Even if you are on a smaller pod of crappie that aren’t overly competitive, you can manage to pick off a few with a more finesse presentation and focusing on the slow fall rate.

I use a mix of jigs, and always keep my finesse ice gear with. My go-to lures include:

• Lindy Tungsten Toad (nicole15 for 15% off everything
• Mo Glo Crappie Pro (super slow falling, lightweight (nicole15 for 15% off))
• Johnson Crappie Buster Spin’r Grub

Another heads up? Take it easy on those hooksets. Aggressive jigging and hooksets don’t go as far in crappie fishing as they do with other species. Instead focus on still and finesse presentations, and when you set the hook… go very light during open water. There is a lot of leverage on a longer open water rod than compared to ice season.

Step 6: Keep Moving to Stay on the Fish

Crappie are constantly on the move, so keep your trolling motor down and remote in hand to stay with them. You’ll be adjusting your position frequently. This is where the Garmin Livescope and side imaging really shine—they can save you valuable time relocating schools. But don’t worry if you don’t have this tech; just keep repositioning until you find the school again. They typically don’t go far, just move consistently.

Also, be sure to check out my late ice crappie guide and spring crappie guide to help you catch more fish in all seasons.

Final Crappie Fishing Tips

Targeting fish in the fall, especially as we shift into turnover, is perfect. Mostly because you will be able to use these same spots for early ice and as I said in the beginning – it is SO MUCH easier to find them now. So any of the work you put in now will pay you back then. In the end the keys to success are:

• Finding manageable lakes with a crappie population
• Finding transition areas to deep water
• Look for suspended marks on sonar
• Using lightweight jigs and slow consistent techniques
• Keep moving to stay on the school

A great way to support these blogs is to buy using my discount codes. Below you can get the same gear I use (and often at a discounted price):

• Grab your favorite lures (code nicole15 for 15% off and free shipping over 35!): https://lurenet.com
• DSG (Code NStone08FF): https://go.nicolestoneoutdoors.com/dsg
• Reels Piscifun AlumiX 1000 (code nicole18): https://bit.ly/3MfisSG
• Rods: https://alnk.to/gp3iIzB
• Shop Outdoor America (big tackle sales): https://go.nicolestoneoutdoors.com/outdooramerica
• Boat Smoker Craft Adventurer 188: https://smokercraft.com/showroom/2025/fishing/adventurer/188-dc
• Shop J&K Marine: https://www.jkmarine.com