Best Crappie Lures of 2023

Today’s best crappie lures come in a vast array of sizes, colors, patterns and actions. And that’s a good thing, because you never know where you’ll find these nomadic fish and what will trip their trigger on the days that you get to chase them. Often, for no apparent reason, they want a lure of a specific size or shape that wobbles or wiggles in a certain way.

Live bait, such as a minnow hung under a float, which is one of our top reviewed crappie bait rigs, may seem like a simple solution to the complex crappie-catching puzzle. But an artificial lure, which doesn’t have to be kept alive or require regular re-rigging, is often a more efficient and effective choice. Unfortunately, all lures aren’t created equal. Some deliver more than others, distinguishing them as the best crappie lures on the market.

Best Overall: Bass Pro Shops Crappie Maxx Squirmin’ Squirt

Best Spinner Lure: Northland Fishing Tackle Thumper Crappie King Jig

Best for Shallow Water: Norman Lures Crappie Crankbait

Best Pre-Rigged: Storm WildEye Swim Shad

With the right assortment of crappie lures in your tackle box, you’ll catch slabs all day. Tyler Brick

How We Picked the Best Crappie Lures

There’s no question that the same types of lures will catch crappie, regardless if they’re swimming in a dingy Carolina reservoir or slow-flowing Upstate New York river. Tubes, jigs, and crankbaits are among those lure types, and I have tackle boxes filled with them to prove it. But within each category, certain lures work better than others—and their effectiveness all comes down to the details. So, when looking for which ones are best, consider these characteristics. 

Weight

Are there options for different depths? Lightweight lures rule crappie fishing. While the most popular crappie lures weigh between 1/32 and 3/32 ounce, there are times when others come into play. Ice fishing lures, for example, can weigh 1/64 ounce or less. And on windy days, or when fishing extreme depths, you may need a 1/8- or ¼-ounce lure to be able to cast or feel your lure. So, the more weight choices for a lure, the more versatile it becomes.

Profile

Does the lure look like a baitfish? Crappie prefer minnows, so your lure should resemble one. It should be relatively long and slender. The best all-around length is 1.5 inches, but there are exceptions. If the water is muddy or cover heavy, a slightly longer lure will create a bigger target that displaces more water. That makes it easier for crappie to find and eat.

Patterns

Is the crappie lure offered in a wide selection of colors? Crappie are choosey, and often prefer a particular color or combination of colors one hour or day, then something totally different the next. So it’s important that a lure is available in several patterns, allowing you to fine tune your presentation to current fishing conditions.

Efficiency

Will you spend more time fishing or fixing it? Durability is an especially important trait for soft-plastics. Tough ones stand up to multiple catches, but soft ones create more action. The best ones are made from plastics that fall somewhere in between. Durability also extends to rigging. Your lure needs to stay on the jig head, so you aren’t fixing it, or reaching for a new one, after every cast.

The Best Crappie Lures: Reviews and Recommendations

Best Overall: Bass Pro Shops Crappie Maxx Squirmin’ Squirt

Specs

Weight: Internal jig heads up to 1/8 ounce

Patterns: More than 70 colors

Profile: 1.5-inch slender body with lively tentacles

Pros

Myriad color combinations make matching forage and conditions easy

Poured from a plastic that’s soft and durable

Can be presented by casting, trolling or shooting under docks

Cons

Small body limits internal weight choices

Tube jigs are a staple of crappie fishing. You only need to look at the many choices available to know that’s true. The Maxx Squirmin’ Squirt does everything those do and much more, starting with its salt-impregnated plastic. While it may attract crappie, it does more to encourage them to hold onto your tube longer. That creates time to set the hook, which is handy if some wind-driven slack in your line keeps you from immediately detecting a bite.

While Maxx Squirmin’ Squirts are offered in a 2-inch size, the compact 1.5-inch version is more attractive to more crappie in more situations. It’s an easy meal for active crappie, for example, and an appropriate one for those numbed by a cold front. Available in more than 70 colors and patterns, you’ll always have access to the hot color, no matter when or where you plan to fish.

Like all hollow tube baits, this one dips and dives best when rigged on an internal lead head jig. But its small diameter makes it difficult to insert a jig weighing 1/8 ounce or more, which may be needed on windy days or in deep water. In those situations, rig it externally on a traditional ball or darter head, though either will slightly dull its action.

Best Spinner Lure: Northland Fishing Tackle Thumper Crappie King Jig

Specs

Weights: 1/32 and 1/16 ounce

Patterns: Eight color combinations

Profile: Lifelike minnow-shaped head and slim curl-tail grub

Pros

Blade and tail create plenty of action

Lifelike head and body entice crappie to eat

Its hook is larger and stouter than similar lures

Cons

Relatively heavy weights make it a poor choice for trolling

Limited color selection is difficult to finetune to conditions

No list of the best crappie lures is complete without a jig that sports a spinning blade. Northland’s Thumper Crappie King fills that spot here. The lure mimics a well-known baitfish, thanks to a minnow-shaped head that appeals to clear-water crappie. Its wire keeper holds soft-plastic trailers more securely than a molded one. While available in a select few colors, its curl-tail grub is easy enough to switch out, whether to your favorite pattern or the one crappie are biting best on a particular day.

This jig’s main attraction is its blade. Positioned near the rear of its head, it features a hammered finish and is slightly larger than what’s used on similar crappie jigs. That means more flash and a more pronounced thump. While the lure is productive in clear water, it’s deadly in stained and muddy water—something crappie anglers encounter far too often in spring.

The Thumper Crappie King’s red hook is all business. The 1/32 model has a No. 4 hook and the 1/16 version a No. 2, both stout selections for such a compact offering. Those combinations are perfect for casting to aquatic vegetation, sunken brush and docks. But their relatively heavy weight makes them tough to use on a trolling rig, forcing a faster-than-usual pace to avoid snagging on bottom.

Best for Shallow Water: Norman Lures Crappie Crankbait

Specs

Weight: 1/8 ounce

Patterns: Six color combinations

Profile: 1.5-inch rounded body

Pros

Fishes quickly, allowing you to cover plenty of water

Action draws reaction strikes, even from inactive crappie

Casts or trolls equally well

Cons

Diving depth is limited

Jigs and soft-plastic lures take up most of the space in a tackle box for crappie fishing. But make room for crankbaits, especially Norman Lures Crappie Crankbait. The smallest member of the legendary tackle-makers N series, its medium-tight action and rattles are a one-two punch that crappie can’t dodge.

This floater-diver, which also goes by the name Deep Tiny N, can be trolled along creek channels or cast at targets in shallow water, which forces fish to spread out rather than stack up. It also works well for schools of crappie suspended over deep water. And once it grabs their attention, its super-sharp No. 10 trebles ensure they end up in your boat.

Even with a spinning rod and sewing-thread-thin 6-pound test monofilament crappie fishing line, this crankbait’s diving depth bottoms out at 6 feet. You may get a few inches more by using fluorocarbon line, which, unlike monofilament, sinks. If that’s not enough to catch the crappie you are targeting, a few snippets of lead tape can be added to its belly to get some more depth or casting distance on a windy day. But be careful about how many. It only takes a bit too much to kick your crankbait out of kilter.

Best Pre-rigged: Storm WildEye Swim Shad

Specs

Weight: 1/8 ounce

Patterns: 12 color combinations

Profile: 2-inch minnow-shaped body with swimming tail

Pros

Pre-rigging ensures a proper and consistent action

Lifelike profile and patterns catch wary crappie

Cons

Only available in one weight

Activating tail requires a relatively faster retrieve or troll 

Swimbaits have proven their effectiveness time and again. They’re a mainstay in bass fishing, and ones as long as your forearm are gaining traction in musky fishing. It’s no different in crappie fishing, where Storm’s WildEye Swim Shad leads the way. Its lifelike profile and swimming action is the perfect combination for covering water and catching crappie.

WildEyes are pre-rigged at the factory, where bodies are molded around lead heads. That’s a huge relief, because threading a traditional swimbait perfectly straight on a jig head is a chore that becomes bigger as swimbaits get smaller. Any kink can kill its action and induce line-twisting spirals.

This swimbait can be worked vertically like a jig or horizontally like a crankbait, though its depth depends on how long you let it sink. Swimbaits with tails that are perpendicular to their body make the most action. It’s easy for them to grab water, even at the slowest retrieve speed. But the WildEye’s tail is raked back to about 45 degrees, so it needs slightly more forward speed to kick. Make sure you move it fast enough.

What to Consider When Choosing Crappie Lures

Many variables go into crappie fishing. Location and depth must be considered alongside cover and structure options. But the biggest, and the one you have the most control over, is presentations. There are plenty of crappie lures on the market. And while all constitute small packages, the best crappie lures pack in a lot. Identifying those crappie lures requires comparing the following characteristics.

Size

The most popular crappie lures weigh between 1/32 and 3/32 ounce, though there are times you may need one that’s lighter, such as when ice fishing, or heavier in deep water or windy conditions. So, it’s important that a lure be offered in several weights or have the ability to easily change weights. 

Color

Color, whether one or several in combination, is an important trigger for catching crappie. While I’ve found a pink-bodied tube with pearl tails a good choice in many situations, there are days when it won’t draw a strike. So, you need options—the more the better. Some days natural baitfish patterns will work best, especially when the water is clear and sun bright. But if you find yourself fishing on a dark overcast day or in muddy water, you’ll need something gaudier. Fire Tiger, for example, doesn’t match anything crappie eat. But its combination of neon green, chartreuse, orange, and black stands out, making it easy for them to find.

Shape

Crappie, regardless of where they swim, mostly feed on minnows. So, you’ll want a lure that resembles one. It should be compact. Most crappie lures are between 1.5- and 2-inches long, but they can measure up to 3 inches. Details matter, too. Sculpted heads, realistic tails and even the addition of fins can make a difference in how many crappie you catch.

Action

Besides looking like minnows, lures should move like them. That includes swimming, darting and hovering actions. Those can be created in several ways. Swimbaits, for example, have a tail that kicks when retrieved, and a crankbait’s bill causes it to dive and wobble. Lightweight crappie jigs sink so slowly that they appear to hover, especially when moved by a drifting or trolling boat.

FAQs

Final Thoughts on the Best Crappie Lures

Best Overall: Bass Pro Shops Crappie Maxx Squirmin’ Squirt

Best Spinner Lure: Northland Fishing Tackle Thumper Crappie King Jig

Best for Shallow Water: Norman Lures Crappie Crankbait

Best Pre-Rigged: Storm WildEye Swim Shad

Consistently catching crappie requires presenting lures that feature particular actions, profiles and patterns in a variety of conditions and situations. But not every lure offers those traits. The ones that do are considered the best—and they might even help you catch a record crappie.

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