Catch crappie and bluegill year-round with expert tips, seasonal patterns, and proven gear setups. Whether you're fishing spring shallows or winter basins, this guide helps you fish smarter with the right strategy and DSG Outerwear built for every season.
Panfish are one of the most fun, family-friendly fish you can target. Also, when it comes to learning the basics of finding fish on your own, it’s a great place to start.
When it comes to locating panfish like crappie and bluegill, tracking them year-round is simpler than you might think. With a basic understanding of their behavior and a single successful outing, you can unlock the secret to finding them consistently. Once you’ve cracked the code, panfishing becomes effortless, requiring minimal movement and little effort to locate them throughout the seasons.
In this guide, I’ll share my proven strategies for targeting crappie and bluegill, including seasonal patterns, key locations, and the exact gear and presentations I use to land the big ones. Whether you’re fishing shallow spring bays or deep winter basins, this guide has you covered.
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Let me preface by saying that the key to any outing is being prepared. I’ve seen a lot more fishing trips wrecked by lack of appropriate gear than of NOT being able to find fish. You have to be willing to put in the time, and that means being able to fish in all conditions from chilly mornings to rainy afternoons.
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Forget trekking across the lake in search of new spots—panfish typically don’t make big moves. Once you’ve found them, they’re likely to stay nearby, often within a short distance of their last location. While their behavior may shift—deeper water, more scattered schools, or different feeding patterns—they rarely need to stray far from their core areas.
On the lakes I fish, panfish stick to predictable zones, adjusting their position in depth based on water temperature and available cover. By staying local and making small adjustments, you can keep catching them month after month with little effort needed to find them.
To consistently catch panfish, you need to understand how their behavior shifts with water temperature and vegetation changes, which directly impact their food sources. Key questions to ask include:
When do they move shallow?
Why do they go deep?
How does the time of year affect their movements?
Once you grasp these patterns, targeting them becomes straightforward.
Spring is the perfect time to target these fish from the dock.
As soon as the ice melts, crappie and bluegill push into shallow waters, seeking warmer temperatures in back bays and along weed edges. These fish congregate heavily in shallow cover, making them easy to target. If you were ice fishing, they’re often just a short distance from their deep winter haunts—shifted shallow into nearby bays or weedlines. I have an entire article on DSG regarding spring panfish patterns and gear you can find here.
Pencil weeds are a great place to start searching for prespawn and spawning fish.
Contrary to popular belief, crappie and bluegill spawn in late spring to early summer, when water temperatures reach the mid-60s to 70s (typically May or June in northern regions). During this time, you’ll find them on shallow beds (less than 5 feet), often near brush or pencil weeds. Males sport their darker “tuxedo” colors, making them easy to spot. Females will drop eggs and congregate to the weeds. Males will stay and guard the beds. If you bed fish, you will be targeting these males that are guarding these beds.
Spring is prime time for sight fishing along shoreline structure. I use ½” Thill pencil bobbers for quick adjustments in shallow water, paired with a small split shot or tungsten ice jig. On hot bites, I opt for plastics; on tougher days, a crappie minnow or crawler does the trick. While catching fish on beds is fun, I advocate for catch-and-release to protect spawning fish. Use this time to scout for the rest of the year.
Spring Bobber Setup for Panfish:
Pencil Bobbers
Plain hook with split shot or tungsten ice jig
4lb monofilament line
St. Croix Panfish Light Fast Action Rod
Post-spawn, panfish stay close to their spring staging areas, often moving into the nearest break (so slightly deeper) and into thicker weeds. This provides them with cover and food.
The dense vegetation can make them harder to locate, but don’t let that deter you. Instead of relying solely on sonar, try covering ground with spinners. This is a great way to cover lots of ground and hook into an entire variety of fish.
Examples of stacked panfish on 2D Sonar and Down Imaging
Spinners, typically associated with walleye, are my go-to for summer panfish. They allow you to cover water quickly and trigger bites from fish hiding in weeds. I learned this from a fellow angler who was catching 14” crappies while I struggled nearby. His setup—a split shot, spinner, and fake worm—cruised just above the weeds in 14 feet, consistently hooking big fish.
Trolling is especially effective in summer, as it helps locate scattered schools. When in doubt, keep moving.
For speeds, I like to go between .8 to 1.5 midsummer. This allows me to cover ground and turnover more fish.
Any spinner
A fast action rod of choice (to notice the bite)
6-8lb monofilament line
Crawler, leech, or even your favorite plastic
An example of Crappie on FF Sonar in the fall.
As surface temperatures cool and weeds die off, panfish move deeper, following baitfish into bowls and basins near summer weed edges. Crappie often suspend in these deeper areas, while bluegills hug structure slightly off the bottom. Use your chart to find deep holes adjacent to weedlines, then scan with sonar to pinpoint schools.
Fall fish, particularly crappie, are often congregated, making them easier to target once located. They may transition between deep water and nearby weeds, so focus on these areas.
Examples of fall transitions for big bluegills and crappie
In fall, fish metabolism slows, so I switch to slower, vertical presentations with live bait. Small tungsten or lead jigs with a slow fall rate work best, enticing competitive bites from sluggish fish. Schools often stay put, allowing you to work the same area repeatedly.
Fall Setup for Panfish:
Slow-falling lead or small tungsten jigs
4-6 lb monofilament or braid/fluoro combo line
A light or UL rod for throwing small baits
For ice fishing, start where you found fish in late fall. Crappie tend to suspend deep, especially at night, feeding on plankton near the lake bottom. Bluegills may stick closer to midlake humps or deeper weed structure but also push deeper as winter progresses.
As snow and ice thicken, both species hold deeper patterns during the day, especially in low-light conditions.
Slow-falling jigs are critical in cold water due to sluggish fish metabolisms. I use a mix of tungsten (faster-falling, smaller) and lead (slower-falling, larger) jigs, paired with plastics or live bait like spikes or crappie minnows. Set up over known fish-holding areas, stay warm, and let the fish come to you—they move slowly in midwinter.
Winter Setup:
A light fast action rod to detect bites
3-4lb monofilament (or braid/fluoro) line
Barrel swivel (to reduce line twist)
Tungsten and lead jigs
Waxworms, spikes, or crappie minnows
After ice-out, the cycle begins anew. Panfish stage in shallow bays before spawning, then scatter into weeds post-spawn. By focusing on a few key lakes and learning their seasonal patterns, you can become an expert at catching crappie and bluegill year-round. Stay prepared with the right gear, like DSG Outerwear for comfort and protection, and use these proven setups to keep your lines tight.
Happy fishing!
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