Back a couple of decades ago, you could often encounter huge strings here with some local anglers who wanted to do so catching 300 crappie per day when things were going right. All that has changed now and while the numbers taken are sensibly smaller, the average size of the fish is substantially larger. One angler who remembers the big numbers is local angler Floyd Coffee, who now proclaims Douglas to be the very best spot for crappie in all of East Tennessee and among the best for the entire state. He not only has years of experience, he has the creel figures from the TWRA to back him up.

Although there are certainly fish to be found back in the creeks during the spring, both in pre-spawn and spawning situations the concentrated fishing here is more apt to take place on points on the main river or along the larger creek channels. Tube lures are quite popular here and the locals agree that keeping your bait close to the bottom, regardless of the depth that the fish are using, is the best strategy for getting your offering in front of the bigger fish.

In the spring, look for concentrations from Point 7 to Point 16. Yes, this lake is really all about points when it comes to crappie fishing. As the season progresses, the fishing shifts as the crappie tend to suspend in the main channels. By late summer, these same schools are often found by anglers using tightline rigs in as much as 30 feet of water, so a good depthfinder is a much-needed tool on Douglas.

This overview is intended to provide a general idea and some insights into ongoing management practices that affect the Tennessee crappie angler. For the latest details, check out the TWRA Web site or talk to your regional fisheries biologists or your county wildlife officer.