Tips for Crappie Fishing in Sunset Country

Fall crappie fishing at Arrowhead Resort  in Nestor Fall

As the summer ends, crappie fishing heats up Sunset Country

Fall is one of the best times of the year to go crappie fishing in Sunset Country; the weather is cooler and the mosquitos are gone. September, right through until the end of October is when you'll find the black crappies biting. Often anglers like to fish for crappie in the deeper holes; jig in the 20 - 40' depths and you'll find the crappies in huge schools. Small jigs, tipped with live bait or small tubes is the best way in the fall. The schools can be 10 feet thick at this time of the year.

Winter ice fishing for crappie is fun as well. You'll find the black crappies large in size and in good numbers. Often, the outfitters will set up ice huts right over where schools of crappie tend to gather. Combine your crappie fishing (and walleye, trout or northern fishing as well) with some snowmobiling. Stay in a winterized cabin and cozy up beside a fire after a great day of crappie fishing and snowmobiling.

Ice fishing for crappie at Gateway North Outfitters

Crappie fishing in the Spring is the best through the ice or just after ice out, when they move inshore to feed on schools of bait. In most cases, you'll find crappie in shallow bays or suspended along deep weedlines. Live minnows on a small (1/4 to 1/8 ounce) jig work great.

Black Crappie Found in Northwestern Ontario

Black crappie are a favourite of panfish anglers. A schooling fish, crappie are not always easy to find but when you do locate them, you're usually over a lot of fish. This popular pan fish can be found in large numbers in certain lakes such as Rainy Lake, Lake of the Woods, Off Lake and the Winnipeg River System. A true delicacy, crappie make for some of the best eating if you love to eat fish. Black crappies are generally 7-10" (18-25cms) long and weigh between 0.5 and 1 lb. They have 7-8 dorsal fin spines; 6 or 7 anal fin spines and an irregular mosaic of distinct black blotches. Black crappie can be found in Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) Zones 4, 5 and 6. Crappie fishing season is open all year round. The crappie limit is 15 with a Sportfishing license and 10 with a conservation fishing license. You can download the Ontario fishing regulations to find out more about the rules of fishing in Ontario.

Link to Ontario lodges and resorts to inquire about crappie fishing opportunities available at their location.