What depth do you target through the winter?

[acrawfor]

Typically I fish 20-25 fow the entire season, which seems to work ok on the lakes I fish. When it gets closer to ice out then I start moving shallower. Usually still between 12-18 fow. Do you guys start shallow, move deeper, then come back shallow or just stick it out with one depth?

[jigman3636]

i usually start out shallow about 12-15 early where the channel rns through with weeds then towards middle of season i go to the 25-30 foot (by a dam) then towards ice out i move back to the shallower area usually produces fish all season

[Soozookie]

Shallow first ice
Deep mid ice
Shallow last ice

[acrawfor]

Maybe I'll give shallow a chance early this season. If I can't find em, at least I can go back to where I know they are.

[Grumpyoldman]

Shallow first ice
Deep mid ice
Shallow last ice

This seems to be the magic formula. As it gets colder, the fish go deeper. 

[icefishingNH]

At whatever depth the bite is It all depends on which body of water I'm fishing which varies from 10' up to 30'.

[Swift]

Luckily can get away with not having to go deeper than ~12' - 15' (one place is 8') most of the winter, just the nature of the lakes chosen and what the fish are up too. Very rarely need to go to 20' but they're usually never more than 6' - 8' down there, feel lucky about it

[nodak]

Deepest is 30 feet, shallowest is about 7 feet on the lake I fish.  I try to target the deep end or shallow end of a nice drop off.  I rarely fish the slope of the drop off.

[slipperybob]

Where ever shanty town is at.  LOL.  till the bite slows then go looking somewhere else on lake.

[cousin eddie]

Luckily can get away with not having to go deeper than ~12' - 15' (one place is 8') most of the winter, just the nature of the lakes chosen and what the fish are up too. Very rarely need to go to 20' but they're usually never more than 6' - 8' down there, feel lucky about it

Very similar to this ^^^

The lakes I choose to fish max out at 40ish feet but I rarely fish in over 15 feet of water.  Mostly fish the schools that relate to the weed flats in 7-9 feet of water.  Jig em up during the day, hammer em on tip ups through the night!

[BONECRUSHER]

First ice I tend to get em at 15'-20' where they generally seem to be suspended and come late January I'm at 32' right on the bottom. But this is just on the Lake I live on, other lakes around I catch in canals no deeper than 7' all winter long. It just depends on the lake your fishing

[ddl]

Shallow first ice
Deep mid ice
Shallow last ice

amen

[addicted to ice fishing]

Depends on thei lake, and where I find the fish.  One lake has a shallow bite all winter.

[RIVERRAT2]

At whatever depth the bite is It all depends on which body of water I'm fishing which varies from 10' up to 30'.

this is the KEY,THE LAKE ,AND THE FISH,
 
RAT

[JAM3S]

I do fish a few lakes that get up to 25' but rarely find fish at that depth.  Almost the whole season I spend in 8' - 14' and it produces fine for me.  Sometimes going more shallow than that.  I caught the 31" cat in my avatar in 8' of water.

[Chris338378]

I use to fish blind and start a few feet off the bottom and work up.  Now that I hve my Showdown Dual beam, I'll fish the depth they show up on the screen.  LOL

[Michaelo]

Depends on thei lake, and where I find the fish.  One lake has a shallow bite all winter.

Which lake would this be? 

[esox_magnum]

Depends what I'm targeting and what local lake I'm on, could be 4' or 40' and anywhere inbetween....

[blufloyd]

I find most fish less than 10 feet. I hate fishing deep which might influence that.

[Skipper]

It is really dependent on the lake... My favorite crappie spot is nearly 60ft deep. I think mistake number one crappie anglers make is not getting way out deep!

It's gotta be main basin with an expanse of shallower nearby.

[addicted to ice fishing]

Which lake would this be? 

The last couple years I have caught decent fish in less then 10 fow, on upper long.  Never really tried the deeper areas, because we would consistently do well in the shallow water.

[muskyon46]

Each lake has it own depth at which to fish, right now the reservoir ill be fishin this winter, the crappie are already staging in their winter spots which is 30-60fow suspended 10ft up and sometimes higher. I have been catching them already and will continue till ice up. I will fish these same spots most the winter. But like I said its just specific to the water that you fish. This time of year I cruise around with the big motor mark the schools with marker buoys, I try to mark a few schools close to each other then drop the electric and jig em. Wind permitting sometimes I anchor. When I go back in winter they are usually not to far from where I found them in the boat

[Michaelo]

The last couple years I have caught decent fish in less then 10 fow, on upper long.  Never really tried the deeper areas, because we would consistently do well in the shallow water.

Never ice fished long fished it a few times this summer for bass and had decent luck. I'll have to get out there this winter.

[addicted to ice fishing]

Never ice fished long fished it a few times this summer for bass and had decent luck. I'll have to get out there this winter.

It is a good lake, not sure how much I will fish it this year, have so many other lakes that I want to try.

[markrazzy]

One of the lakes I fish, I've actually had the most luck fishing in about 4 feet of water during the day.  They seem to be cruising through feeding near the weeds.  Everybody else is set up in the main basin (30 feet) , and I'm hole hopping in 4-6 feet of water, trying to keep my back to them crowd so they don't catch on!

[CrappieNutJustin]

depends on the lake for me, Marshmiller is shallow so im only like 3 ft down in 7 fow, whereas Wissota is alot deeper and ill fish 10 feet down or so in 30-60 fow, really varies by lake.

[hnd]

we don't get enough of a winter to have a true early, mid, late ice bite in northern IL...when you start fishing mid december and are nearly done end of february, they all kind of jumble together.

most of our bodies of water are 20' or less deep.  at the beginning, i start looking for fish at half the depth.  so in 20 ft i'd start at 10.  30 at 15 and so on.  work my way down to just outside the mad depth. if they aren't there, i'll look shallower.   if not there, i go right to the deepest hole.  thats my usual pattern.    mid ice i'm targetting just outside the deepest holes and working in.  i rarely catch a crappie shallow in mid ice.  late ice is usually quick but the fish don't seemingly move much out of the mid ice spots until the ice is sketchy. 

[Dispy]

We have been locating and tracking schools of crappie for many years in my home lake and in others. Yesterday, we hammered many using a vertical jigging presentation.  Our studies have shown  that crappie will set up on any type of cover; weedlines, drop offs, rock piles and in open water, spring thru winter. There are two distinct types of fish in any given lake, main-lake  roamers and what I like to call "resident fish."

Main lake roamers will often follow baitfish and utilize the previously described areas until baitfish are either scattered or depleted. They do have distinct migration patterns, as with any fish, but crappie more often than not, are very close to where you would normaly catch them in the summer. Major migrations of concentrated schools do occur, and they will migrate into the back of coves feeding when a lake is drawn down or the dwindling daylight spurs on a mass feeding based upon temperature change and it's affect on the epilimnion (fall turn over).

Resident fish are those that have taken up new "real estate" within these coves and make it their permanent home. Ease of prey and sparsely scattered weedbeds and/or rockpiles become their winter home, as it typically holds baitfish and affords the crappie little expenditure of energy. This trangression can take upwards of two months and the fishing is red hot. Once established these fish will remain in the cove areas. Although, we have no scientific evidence to support this theory, it is our belief that the majority of migrating fish are those that are on the cusp of maturity for breeding, as most of these areas (smaller back coves) are suitable for spawning and the majority of resident fish versus main lake roamers caught, are egg laden.

Depth in the winters are very specific to be productive in your fishing. Most often they are found in 15-27 fow. Electronics will aid in determing the exact species of fish via their postioning on your viewing screen and how they are relating to structure. With experience and patience, one can distinguish between crappie or perch or bluegill or any other fish that is viewed on their fish finding unit screen. A typical set up would be to jig or set tip ups 3' off of the bottom over weedbeds or rockpiles or any fish holding structure; ei : christmas trees or brushpiles. Nightime fishing move up into 3' of water out to 25 feet of water, bait depth at 3' off the bottom.

Sorry to be long winded, I could go on about crappie all day.......
A picture/previous post from last year to spark your interests: http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=210466.0

[Dispy]

I should have added that there exists many patterns for each species, some are much harder than others to identify and others, well lets say, some are more predictable   ;)Gimme a hollar if i can help. Thanks in advance.

[hairjig]

I stay in the 20 to 8 ft range chriatmas day i caught 80 fish in 8 ft of water keeping 30 nice keepers from 11 to 14in range plus there is plenty of brush where we fish.