The 5 Best Shallow Diving Crankbaits for 2025

Crankbaits are one of the most iconic and popular lure categories in all of bass fishing.

And each crankbait has a unique design to fish a specific depth zone or technique.

And whether you are a pond, lake, or river fisherman, a shallow diving crankbait should play a big roll in your fishing strategy year round.

Out of the expansive options out there, we have found these to be the best shallow diving crankbaits.

How Deep Shallow Diving Crankbaits Reach

Shallow diving crankbaits will usually reach 1-4 feet deep on a long cast. Each individual crankbait will dive a bit deeper or shallower.

And depending on what pound test you use, the crankbaits will also reach a bit different depths.

But for the most part, 1-4 feet is standard for shallow diving crankbaits.

Best Shallow Diving Crankbaits:

1. Strike King Hybrid Hunter

The Hybrid Hunter has recently become not just my favorite shallow diving crankbait, but also my #1 overall crankbait.

The Hybrid Hunter has a very unique shape and action that set it apart.

First, the body is half way in between a flat sided crank and a more traditional round body shape.

This shape helps the bait shine in a wider range of water temperatures and water clarities.

Second, the “Hunter” aspect of the lure’s name refers to the random darts and turns it makes side to side during the retrieve.

This hunting action is awesome for triggering trailing bass to commit to the bait or to make a more sluggish bass react to the bait without having to bounce it off of any cover or jerk it with your rod tip.

The Hybrid Hunter also uses a one-knocker bead system for sound which I haven’t had any issues with in a variety of fishing conditions.

Overall, the Hybrid Hunter is the most versatile and balanced shallow diving crankbait out there.

When It Shines

• Cool but not super cold water temperatures
• Spring and Fall season

2. Rapala Shallow Shad Rap

The Rapala Shad Rap line of crankbaits are one of the oldest and most iconic lures of all time.

Made from balsa wood and designed with an awesome flat sided, thin body, the Shad Rap is known for its tight wobble and unique balsa wood swimming action.

The shallow diving Shad Rap has a short, L shaped bill much like the Hybrid Hunter has.

But the Shad Rap is much thinner in shape and doesn’t have any beads or rattles inside of it making it a totally silent crankbait.

The whole line of Shad Rap crankbaits are best known for fishing cold water.

The extra tight wobble and silent nature of the bait is a super subtle and finesse presentation which is ideal for the more sluggish, cold water bass.

This bait dives a bit shallower than most at about 1.5 – 3 feet in depth.

Because of the balsa wood material, this bait is much lighter than other crankbaits, meaning it is best used on spinning gear to ensure proper casting distance.

Without a doubt and icon in the fishing industry, the shallow Shad Rap is a must have in any tackle box.

When it Shines

• Ponds or large shallow flats
• Winter to early pre-spawn

3. Strike King KVD 1.5

This is where we get into the true squarebill crankbait design. The KVD 1.5 has a traditional square bill and a very wide, round body shape.

This is the standard design for all “squarebill crankbaits” That shape and bill design give the crankbait a very wide, aggressive wobble in the water that displaces a ton of water and gets bass fired up when they are in predatory mode.

Designed by KVD himself, the 1.5 has become the industry standard for what a squarebill crankbait should be.

It is ideal for bouncing off of shallow rocks and wood to trigger reaction strikes.

It also works phenomenally in very muddy water because of the aggressive thumping vibration that it has coming through the water.

And with a ton of amazing colors to choose from, the KVD 1.5 has become the best option for squarebill crankbaits all around the country.

When it Shines

• Muddy Water
• Late spring through early fall fishing when the water is warmer
• Very rocky or woody banks

4. Berkley Frittside

The Berkley Frittside is another variation of a flat sided crankbait. But contrary to the Shad Rap, the Frittside does have noise to it and comes in a plastic material making it much heavier.

This allows you to cast the bait much better on baitcasting gear and gives it a bit more aggressive presentation in the water.

The Frittside is a relatively new bait but has already shot straight up to the top of the flat side crankbait world with tons of pros winning tournaments on it in recent years.

The Frittside has become most popular for fishing the pre-spawn period when the water is still cold but bass are starting to feed up and get more aggressive.

I have found that the Frittside also has some of the best color options amongst all crankbaits out there.

No matter what water conditions or forage are in your lake, there are some awesome colors for you.

When it Shines

• Pre-Spawn and late fall season

5. Rapala OG Slim

The OG Slim is pretty much like a combination of the Shad Rap and the Frittside.

It is a silent, balsa wood crankbait but it has a bit bigger body and a rounder bill, giving it more action similar to that of the Frittside.

Designed by the legendary Ott Defoe, the OG Slim has become a staple of the modern Rapala crankbait line.

During the spring season when there are tons of other anglers on the water, the OG Slim can persuade these pressured bass to bite.

This part is a bit of my personal opinion, but the OG Slim just seems to have the X factor.

There is just something about it that can catch bass when nothing else will.

I have found that it works especially well in the red and brown colors that are part of Rapala’s lineup.

When it Shines

• Pre-Spawn and early Winter
• Highly pressured lakes

When to Use Shallow Diving Crankbaits

The simple answer is to fish these crankbaits when bass are up shallow. But obviously that isn’t a great answer.

The first ideal situation is when you are fishing in a pond. Ponds are pretty much always very shallow water and you don’t want a deep diver to dig down into the mud or leaves that line the bottom of most ponds.

On bigger lakes and rivers, fish these crankbaits around shallow rocks and wood.

Bass pretty much hang around these areas year-round and bouncing the crankbaits around there is the best way to quickly cover tons of water and get reaction bites from bass.

Reeling this In

Shallow diving crankbaits are a crucial lure to have in your arsenal year round.

Depending on your exact fishing scenario like season, water clarity, or body of water, one of these 5 crankbaits will be the perfect lure for you.

Whenever you’re fishing between 2-4 feet of water, you should have a shallow diving crankbait tied on and ready to go.