Photo by Mark Fike.

Crappie fishing should be hot this year in Tennessee. For some ideas on where to go to catch them, read what our experts have to say.

by Ed Harp

Tennessee has always been one of the better crappie states around. It’s blessed with a huge number of natural lakes, manmade reservoirs and rivers. Each offers, in its own right, a unique opportunity to catch a heavyweight stringer full of them.

Most of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) personnel predict a bright future for the state’s crappie fisheries. They believe that with proper management Tennessee’s waters will continue to produce for years into the future.

However, a word of warning is in order here. The drought of 2007 is having a devastating effect on some fisheries and an unknown effect on others. If the dry weather continues through 2008, many of our fisheries will be in bad shape. Many of them have already been affected.

As of this writing, the effects of the drought are manageable. The low water didn’t happen until after the spawn in most fisheries last year. The majority of the fish will survive. That’s the good news.

But then again, if it continues, it may be the beginning of some very tough years for anglers -- and for the fish. Only time will tell.

And so, with the length and severity of the drought still unknown, let’s take a close region-by-region look at the 2008 crappie fishing opportunities in the Volunteer State.

REGION I
Region I, on the west side of the state, is home to the best crappie fisheries in Tennessee -- Reelfoot Lake, Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake.

Lake Barkley, a relatively young (1966) Tennessee River impoundment covering 58,000 surface acres at normal pool, has the best catch rate of the three, according to George Scholten, Reservoir and River Fisheries Coordinator for the TWRA.

He reports that the year-classes for 2003 and 2005 were especially strong. That fact showed in 2006 when the TWRA collected creel data. It showed good catch and harvest rates for both white and black crappie with anglers releasing as many fish as they harvested.

That’s really good news for 2008. The classes of 2003 and 2005, most of which were released because they were small, will be reaching maturity and ready for the frying pan in February and March of 2008. A fair number of them will be 10 inches or better.

Barkley is somewhat shallow, with a wealth of stumps, flats and other crappie-attracting habitat. The lake supports a fairly good weed growth and it’s getting better. There really isn’t a bad place to fish in it. Spring and fall are especially productive, but there’s enough deep water to allow for some summer and winter fishing. (Cont.)

Launch your boat from the most convenient ramp, motor to the nearest creek or inflow and start fishing any brushpiles, stumps or laydowns you encounter. If that’s not your style, pick a set of docks, or an area near a marina in relatively shallow water, and look for one or two out of the thousands of brushpiles that have been set out by local anglers. Once you find them, have at it.

Now, all this doesn’t mean Barkley crappie jump in the boat. You still have to catch them. Traditional methods are the most popular with local anglers. A 2-inch minnow, weighted with a split shot or two, under a bobber will work fine. Thin-wire hooks are a necessity.

If you’re looking for huge, trophy-sized slabs, try small in-line spinners or tiny, ultralight crankbaits. Balsa wood minnow imitations are very popular and account for many of the bigger crappie caught from these areas each year.

Reelfoot is next on our list. This sizeable, natural lake has been producing high numbers of big crappie for decades and shows no signs of slowing down.