Panfish Lures
Bobby Garland Baby Shad Crappie Jigs
A go-to crappie plastic on a light jighead, under a float or vertical.
Check PriceSpecies / Crappie
Panfish
Crappie Fishing
Black and white crappie school around brush, docks, and timber in lakes nationwide. A spring spawn brings them shallow, and they are top table fare.
Best Months: Feb to May, Oct to Nov
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Best Flies, Lures & Bait for Crappie
Month
2 picks for October.
Crappie Jig 1/32 to 1/8 oz
LureJig
Shop This LureLive Minnows 1 to 3 in
BaitLive Bait · Under a slip float.
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Rod & Reel
Crappie Setup
Crappie
Fly 8.5 ft 4 wt rod, floating line, small jig flies and minnow patterns.
Spin / Cast 10 to 12 ft jigging pole or 6 ft ultralight spinning rod, 4 to 6 lb hi-vis line.
The US
Where to Catch Crappie
Lakes & Reservoirs · Alabama
Lake Eufaula
A 45,000 acre Chattahoochee River reservoir on the Alabama and Georgia line known for big largemouth and spring crappie.
Largemouth Bass · Crappie · Channel Catfish
Lakes & Reservoirs · Alabama
Lake Guntersville
Tennessee River impoundment with matted grass and big-bag tournament weights.
Largemouth Bass · Crappie · Catfish
Lakes & Reservoirs · Arkansas
Lake Ouachita
A clear, 40,000 acre Ouachita Mountain reservoir known for striped bass and largemouth.
Striped Bass · Largemouth Bass · Crappie
Lakes & Reservoirs · Arizona
Roosevelt Lake
Arizona's largest lake inside the state, a desert reservoir with excellent largemouth bass and crappie fishing.
Largemouth Bass · Crappie · Channel Catfish
Lakes & Reservoirs · California
Clear Lake
The largest natural freshwater lake fully in California and one of the best trophy largemouth lakes in the West.
Largemouth Bass · Crappie · Channel Catfish
Lakes & Reservoirs · Florida
Lake Okeechobee
Shallow 730-square-mile lake known for trophy largemouth in the grass.
Largemouth Bass · Crappie · Bluegill
Lakes & Reservoirs · Florida
Lake Tohopekaliga
A Kissimmee Chain lake near Orlando with grass flats and trophy largemouth.
Largemouth Bass · Crappie
Lakes & Reservoirs · Florida
Rodman Reservoir
A stump-filled impoundment of the Ocklawaha River known for giant bass.
Largemouth Bass · Crappie · Bluegill
Lakes & Reservoirs · Indiana
Patoka Lake
A southern Indiana reservoir with standing timber and good crappie and bass fishing.
Largemouth Bass · Crappie
Lakes & Reservoirs · Kansas
Cheney Reservoir
A windy prairie reservoir west of Wichita with excellent white bass and wipers.
White Bass · Walleye · Crappie
Lakes & Reservoirs · Kansas
Milford Lake
The largest lake in Kansas, known for white bass, wipers, and blue catfish.
White Bass · Walleye · Channel Catfish
Lakes & Reservoirs · Kentucky
Kentucky Lake
One of the largest man-made lakes in the East with famous ledge bass fishing and crappie.
Largemouth Bass · Crappie · Blue Catfish
Rivers & Streams · Louisiana
Atchafalaya Basin
The largest river swamp in the country, with cypress backwaters full of bass and sac-a-lait.
Largemouth Bass · Crappie · Channel Catfish
Lakes & Reservoirs · Louisiana
Toledo Bend Reservoir
A huge Sabine River reservoir on the Texas line and one of the top bass lakes in the country.
Largemouth Bass · Crappie
Lakes & Reservoirs · Missouri
Lake of the Ozarks
A sprawling Ozark reservoir with docks lining the shore and strong bass and crappie fishing.
Largemouth Bass · Crappie · Channel Catfish
Lakes & Reservoirs · Missouri
Truman Lake
A timber-filled reservoir and one of the best crappie lakes in the Midwest.
Crappie · Largemouth Bass · Channel Catfish
Lakes & Reservoirs · Mississippi
Enid Lake
Corps of Engineers reservoir on the Yocona River ten miles south of Batesville. The world record white crappie came out of this water, and the summer pool holds crappie, largemouth bass, white bass, catfish and bream.
Crappie · Largemouth Bass · White Bass
Lakes & Reservoirs · Mississippi
Grenada Lake
A North Mississippi flood control lake famous for giant slab crappie.
Crappie · Largemouth Bass
Lakes & Reservoirs · Mississippi
Ross Barnett Reservoir
A Pearl River reservoir near Jackson with crappie, bass, and catfish.
Crappie · Largemouth Bass · Channel Catfish
Lakes & Reservoirs · Mississippi
Sardis Lake
A large reservoir near Batesville with trophy crappie and spring bass.
Crappie · Largemouth Bass · Channel Catfish
Lakes & Reservoirs · Ohio
Indian Lake
A shallow western Ohio lake known for saugeye and crappie.
Walleye · Crappie
Lakes & Reservoirs · Ohio
Mosquito Creek Lake
A northeast Ohio reservoir with walleye and crappie.
Walleye · Crappie · Largemouth Bass
Lakes & Reservoirs · Oklahoma
Grand Lake O' the Cherokees
A northeast Oklahoma reservoir that hosts major bass tournaments.
Largemouth Bass · Crappie · Channel Catfish
Lakes & Reservoirs · South Carolina
Lake Murray
A big reservoir near Columbia famous for spring herring spawn bass fishing and stripers.
Striped Bass · Largemouth Bass · Crappie
Lakes & Reservoirs · South Carolina
Santee Cooper Lakes
Lakes Marion and Moultrie, known for trophy blue catfish and landlocked stripers.
Blue Catfish · Striped Bass · Crappie
Lakes & Reservoirs · Tennessee
Chickamauga Lake
A Tennessee River lake near Chattanooga known for double-digit largemouth.
Largemouth Bass · Crappie
Lakes & Reservoirs · Tennessee
Reelfoot Lake
An earthquake-formed cypress lake in northwest Tennessee with crappie and bluegill.
Crappie · Bluegill · Largemouth Bass
Lakes & Reservoirs · Texas
Lake Fork
The state's top trophy bass lake, with standing timber and more ShareLunker entries than any other Texas lake.
Largemouth Bass · Crappie
Lakes & Reservoirs · Texas
Sam Rayburn Reservoir
Big East Texas bass lake and the largest lake entirely within Texas.
Largemouth Bass · White Bass · Crappie
Recommended
Gear for Crappie
Fly Rods
Echo Base Fly Rod Kit
An affordable starter kit with rod, reel, line, and case.
Check PriceRod & Reel Combos
Ugly Stik GX2 Ultralight Spinning Combo
Light enough to feel crappie bites and cast small spinners for trout.
Check PriceReels
Pflueger President Spinning Reel
Light and smooth for its price. A favorite for finesse and panfish rods.
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Berkley Trilene XL Monofilament
Limp, easy-casting mono for spinning reels and general fishing.
Check PriceCrankbaits
Rapala Shad Rap
A tight-wobbling crankbait that walleye anglers troll and cast.
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