After the spawn, when water levels fall, crappies move directly to summer habitat. By August, the Stones River might reach the mid-80°F range. “Depending on current, wood becomes critical for crappies in these small flatland rivers,” Monteleone says. “Stones is full of downed trees, stumps, and logs. Crappies prefer to have deep water nearby, but their main objective is to get out of the current and out of the sun. They favor the down-current side of woodcover—spots where weeds adjoin woodcover are perfect. Riverbends become key spots, too; they group on the inside of the bend where the current is reduced. Find woodcover on an inside bend, and you’ll find slabs in summer.

“Crappies tend to hold at different depths according to water level, but generally hold in areas 5 to 8 feet deep on the down-current side of fallen trees. By midsummer, as the river drops and current slows, they move out to 10- and 12-foot depths in large pools. Yet when they seem to be suspended in open water, wood is usually nearby. In the Stones River, crappie location is almost always associated with wood. If bait is abundant in an area, a simple stump or two can hold a lot of crappies. But the cover generally has to be able to provide a current break for pretty good numbers, because crappies have a social side and tend to school.”