Pond Panfish: A Warmer Alternative When it's Cold Outside

If you’ve gone fishing lately, chances are you’ve noticed that it’s getting pretty cold outside. Many species of fish become more challenging to chase after when temperatures start to drop due to slowing metabolisms and many other factors. If you’re noticing those changes but still want a good day of fishing, it may be time to go try for some pond panfish. 

The main reason why this can be a great way to catch a ton of fish is because of how ponds react to cold weather. In general, a pond is going to retain heat and stay slightly higher than average for their water temperatures compared to larger bodies of water. The main reason for this is that they’re typically shallower and have less cold water flowing into them.

For context, a deeper lake can commonly hit 40 degrees Fahrenheit or less in the upper layers, while a pond may stay closer to 45 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Because of that, the fish in the pond maintain a faster metabolism and feed for longer.

Another factor to consider is that since ponds are typically smaller, they experience less mixing from wind exposure. This helps the deeper parts of the pond even warmer, which is ideal for panfish like bluegills and crappies.

Ponds are typically shallower than the larger lakes in the area, which helps them absorb sunlight quickly. This, paired with the fact that most ponds are darker and muddier on the bottom, all helps create the perfectly heated environment to get panfish biting when everywhere else slows down.

Okay, so ponds are usually warmer in cold weather than other large bodies of water. But should you just fish any pond? Probably not.

You’ll want to find a pond that is between 6 to 15 feet deep with plenty of structure. Look for vegetation, fallen timber, brush, and even docks. All of these create great habitat for panfish. If you can, find a pond that is south-facing or sheltered, as they’ll likely be the warmest in the cold months. Lastly, look for stained water, as this is also better at retaining heat than extremely clear water.

Once you’ve found your pond, there are a few species of panfish that can be great to target. Bluegill are a go to for anglers of all ages. These fish will usually remain near the shallower parts of the pond with weeds or brush. Crappie are another common species to target. They like to move toward deeper pockets of ponds in cold weather and will likely be suspending. Perch can be a solid choice as well, as they are typically aggressive in their opportunistic feeding habits. 

Just like many other species this time of year, you’re going to want to consider downsizing your presentations as much as possible. Micro jigs are likely your best bet for this kind of fishing. Anything in the 1/64 to 1/32 oz sizes are perfect. This size likely makes a tungsten jig essential in order to get to some of the deeper pockets of the pond. You can pair these jigs with small minnows, wax worms, and micro plastics, whichever makes the most sense for the area you’re fishing in.

When fishing jigs, there are a few different ways to do it. One is to pair the jig with your favorite style of bobber and cast out to where you think the fish are. You can set them up to be just off the bottom, or suspended in the water column if the fish are suspending. If you can get a kayak or boat in the pond, you can try vertical jigging as well. However, be careful with this method as you may scare fish away in shallow water.

Small spoons can work well in this scenario too. Flutter spoons and other styles in the 1/16 oz size range are ideal for panfish in ponds. With a spoon, you can cast them out, let them sink down, and slowly retrieve them back to you. Just like jigs, if you can get a kayak or boat on the water, you can also slowly jig these and let them flutter back down.