Comments: Walleye slow on jigs, cran baits, and gay blades off the dam. Off bottom, with a common slip rig. Soon, we'd both taken additional crappie. Water level is way low. I like to use a crappie rig baited with minnows to fish at depths of 10 to 20 feet. Two boat dock areas act as a focus for considerable quantities of crappie. He fishes with artificial baits only, and is partial to 1/8- and 1/4-ounce jigs in chartreuse, white, and red, white, and blue Though the white crappie is the main species at Grand, Martin reports that people are catching more black crappie than ever before. | 2023 www.oklahoman.com. .goog-te-menu-value:hover {text-decoration:none !important;} If, however, you were one of the unfortunate anglers who, because of work or spousal obligations, didn't get to dunk a minnow or bounce a jig into a mess of slabs last month, I've got great news for you: The good crappie fishing is only beginning, and big numbers of hard-fighting papermouths can be found at a venue near you. His long rod enables him to make a long cast, which allows him to keep his jigs in areas where crappie like to spawn. Size: 1,500 surface acres Depth: 6 feet average, 13 feet deepest Attractions: Covered fishing pier, boat ramps, tending docks, handicap facilities, and fish attractors. Historically, it has provided very good angling for a variety of species including largemouth bass, bluegill, and channel catfish. A covered picnic pavilion is available on advance notice. So when you go, you are going to need to have some pretty big gear. But anglers better hurry to get in on the action. According to Martin, the crappie will move out of shallow water after spawning and congregate near ledges in 6 to 30 feet of water. Fishing, boating and swimming are popular activities in Virginia's many pretty lakes. Largemouth Bass with a Berkley Gulp! These trips can be expensive, but they offer a unique experience that you wont find at most other locations. Have a story idea? It was built in 1947 to expand the water supply for the city of Oklahoma City. Another area the fish expert suggested is Sailboat Marina off Alameda Road where there's room for bank-anglers. Were we surprised! Advertisement Your email address will not be published. Since the lake lies in both Oklahoma and Texas, purchasing the special Texoma fishing license would be a good idea. Winchester's new Big Bore ammo, available in 10 mm, .44 Mag., .357 Mag., and .45 Colt, is specifically designed for big bears in bear country. 2023 Outdoor Sportsman Group. "I love it when a plan comes together:" Thomas Allen may have missed a day-starting coffee and chill time, but his planning before a recent turkey hunt in Minnesota had him ready when gobblers showed up earlier than expected, and just before an April winter storm blew in. It often gets overlooked as a good fishing lake simply because of its urban location. The last on our list of lakes -- and one well worth the drive -- lies right on the southern border of Oklahoma and boasts a king-sized complement of crappie. Oklahomas state botanist will visit Arbuckle Springs WMA throughout the 2023 growing season to document the areas plant diversity. Required fields are marked *. Favorite Bass: All three. Swimming is prohibited. "A few years back, the lake consistently produced some 2- to 3-pound crappie," Myers said. Russ Horton points out that certain coves on the south side of the lake, such as Calypso Cove and Little Ax, hold quite a few crappie. airplanes. You can bet that legions of turkey hunters will also take to the woods this month, in hopes of matching wits with a spring gobbler. he was fun to catch. Crappie jigs work well in water from 2' to 40' deep, and are the most popular artificial lure for crappie ever. Buta lot of anglers also come from Illinois and Iowa, too, he said. LAST CASTIf you want to economize even more, take a friend fishing and split the gas cost. The Magnolia State is its own crappie planet!" Top here is Grenada Lake, a shallow, 36,000-acre Corps of Engineers impoundment 82 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee on I-55. The subject of several crappie articles, and as knowledgeable about catching crappie as anyone I've ever met, he freely shares his knowledge at his local tackle shop, where he makes some of the finest crappie jigs I've ever used. ' It also serves as a major recreational destination, as it is surrounded by 9.5 miles of bicycle trails. Thunderbird is well known for its healthy population of crappie, and according to Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation's Kurt Kuklinski, the crappie recently sampled are showing a marked difference in quality. Keep a variety of small crappie baits handy, and don't be too proud to dunk a minnow when fishing with artificials gets tough. Anyone interested in fishing Lake Arcadia or waters within the wider area around Edmond should consult with local resources before heading out to fish. The annual contest is a nice appetizer for anglers before the state's official fishing opener on the following . Lake employee Leon Mixer says he has witnessed some good stringers of crappie caught at the indoor fishing dock located beside the 15th Street boat ramp. It was built in 1947 to expand the water supply for the city of Oklahoma City. Bowfishing during daylight hours only. In fact, when it comes to catching big crappie, the humble Reece seems to have a knack, having caught several weighing over 3 pounds. Arcadia Lake garnered fame just after it opened by giving up some bragging-sized stringers of both crappie and largemouth bass. Longnose Gar, Lepisosteus osseus with a minnnow. Huckabee is one of the busiest crappiefishing guides on Lake Eufaula. Amanda Knight of Chandler caught a 22.6-pound channel catfish on June 19 that was the new Lake Hefner record. He also fishes some of the lake's many ODWC-built brushpiles, which are prominently marked by buoys. Anglers can expect to take crappie in the 3/4- to 1-pound range, although Jones will grin and show you pictures of Hefner crappie weighing much more. "They are moving up," Motley said. "I would say at least three-fourths of them," she said. Guide, All Rights Reserved. Elevation is 6 ft. below normal (stable), water temperature 63F and murky. Submit your photo to the dock! The lake consists of 935 acres of clear to stained water that is home to good numbers of slab-sized papermouths. In the video above, Matt Willson of Ruger highlights the features with Game & Fish's John Taranto. According to city officials, all anglers can fish in Lake Hefner, Lake Overholser, Lake Stanley Draper, "Close to Home" fishing waters and elsewhere without having to buy a city fishing permit or state fishing license on those days. A canal at the southwest corner connects it to Lake Overholser. Texoma's 91,200 acres contain several ODWC-marked brushpiles; these have been strategically placed at varying depths, and harbor plenteous papermouths. A daily permit is $3.50; annually it's $18.50. I've met with the most success using white, yellow, chartreuse, red, and brown jigs. Submit your photo to the dock! By Kara Williams. Motley gives a prize of Beaver Bottom baits each month to the angler who catches the biggest crappie and brings it to his store. "They will move in and move out (of the shallow water)," said Hollie, who is the biologist on Lake Eufaula, Oklahoma's best crappie lake. Black crappie. Subscriber Services. Named in honor of the city's Mayor, Robert Alexander Hefner, the lake covers a surface area of 2,500 acres and holds a water volume of 75,000 acre-feet. Oklahomas state botanist will visit Arbuckle Springs WMA throughout the 2023 growing season to document the areas plant diversity. "They just don't get very big." Anglers may take 37 crappie daily; a minimum-length limit of 10 inches is in force. all original Outdoor News stories and updates from the entire Great Lakes Region and beyond, the most up-to-date fishing & hunting reports, lake maps, photo & video galleries, the latest gear, wild game cooking . Lake Overholser is a 1500 acre lake located in Canadian county. Lake Hefner is a reservoir in northwestern Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. June is the month the channel cats and flatheads move into the shallow water to spawn, and Hefner anglers have been catching them like crazy on just about anything, Hughes said. Lake Eufaula, though turbid or dirty in some areas, possesses prime habitat within which schools of crappie lurk, waiting to ambush small minnows and shad. On an overcast May afternoon a few years ago, Stuart Crow and I were fishing a rocky point on the east side of Arcadia Lake -- a water-supply lake lying east of Edmond, a suburb of Oklahoma City -- where we'd been targeting late-spawning largemouth bass without success. Besieged by a school of 2-pound crappie, we ran out of minnows. Fishermen will find a variety of fish including flathead catfish, catfish, walleye, striped bass, black bass, crappie, bream/bluegill, white bass, largemouth bass and carp here. For a lake right in the middle of the city, its got a lot of fish in it. Even with the low water levels the lake is still open for a number of things including, fishing, ATV'S or dirt bikes, R.C. 2023 Fishidy. Lake Hefner has a marina, fishing docks, enclosed heated fishing dock, picnic areas, grills, restrooms, playgrounds, group shelters, nature trail, running track, sailboard rentals, softball field, golf course with pro shop and cart rental, model airplane field,soccer field and 9 mile walking/biking trail that circles the lake. Use heavier equipment and lures that can handle colder water, such as largemouth bass jigs and crankbaits. Shoreline length is 18 miles, lake acreage 2,500, average depth 29 feet, maximum depth 94 feet, walking/jogging trail 9 miles. Throw in some morel mushrooms and not only will a country boysurvive, he will be well-fed to boot. This month, the state's storm trackers hit the roads, keeping a watchful eye on ominous skies. LAKE ARCADIALast but not least, and lying just 20 minutes north of Oklahoma City, is Arcadia Lake -- a phenomenal crappie fishery. As one avid crappie angler said when I polled him on the top crappie-fishing states, "There's Mississippi and then there's everywhere else. Its got a lot of crappie in it, Hughes said of Hefner Lake. Activities: Stars & Stripes Park, fishing, boating, sailing, sailboarding, jogging. Operated byOKC Water Trust Authority. Martin recommends targeting Honey Creek, Elk River, Duck Creek and Drowning Creek. LAKE THUNDERBIRDLying 30 minutes south of Oklahoma City near Norman, my top pick is Thunderbird Lake, a 6,070-acre impoundment that locals have nicknamed "T-Bird" and -- because its water is normally muddy year 'round -- "Dirty Bird." Advertising | However, there is public bank access at the Horse Creek Bridge.