An impoundment of the Cumberland River, Old Hickory is essentially a run-of-the-river lake. Still, several creeks create significant backwaters off the main channel, and those creek arms provide the most predictable crappie fishing during the spring. Markham suggested that docks, brushpiles, stumps and laydowns all were potentially good crappie structure in the creeks.

"There are many, many docks around Old Hickory, and they can produce really good crappie fishing. Not all docks are good, but if you do some searching and find the ones with brush around them and at the right depths, you'll often find really good fishing," he said.

Along with being close to home for Nashville anglers, Old Hickory is also extremely accessible, whether or not an angler has a boat. Markham pointed toward the Drakes Creek Access Area near Davidson as an example of an area that provides really good shoreline access to good crappie fishing, but he noted that anglers ought not to limit their ideas because there are so many good areas. He suggested checking the TWRA Web site for detailed access information.

The crappie limit on Old Hickory is 30 fish, with a 10-inch minimum size.

KNOXVILLE
Watts Bar
Picking one place to fish for crappie around Knoxville is a tough proposition because Fort Loudoun and neighboring Tellico both offer fine fishing opportunities. Nevertheless, a glance at the records of the Tennessee Angler Recognition Program (TARP) makes it clear that Watts Bar Lake outshines its upstream neighbors and is the place to go in this part of the state. Since the inception of the TARP program, Watts Bar has produced 32 award-winning crappie, putting in third on the statewide list of slab factories. Twenty of those trophies (which have to at least 14 inches long to gain recognition) were white crappie. The 12 blacks that form the balance represent the highest total in the state for black crappie.

The second lake along the Tennessee River, Watts Bar impounds 39,000 acres and is more than 70 miles long. Its upper end is fairly riverine, with heavy current and fluctuating water levels. The lower end is much broader and more open, with numerous islands and vast impounded creeks. It's highly fertile and loaded with baitfish, so the crappie generally stay fat and happy.

In the upper end of the lake, virtually all crappie fishing will be in backwaters off the main channel, where current is less of a factor, and during April anglers can do well casting around visible cover. Farther down the lake, a better strategy is to troll or drift in creeks and in cuts off of major creeks and rivers. More than 35 boat ramps provide excellent access to all parts of Watts Bar.

CHATTANOOGA
Lake Chickamauga
Where Watts Bar ends, Chickamauga begins, and there is certainly no break in the quality crappie fishing. Chickamauga leads all Tennessee waterways in TARP trophy-crappie production with 39 award-earning fish. Beyond big fish, this 34,500-acre impoundment also supports big numbers, and its countless creeks and coves consistently serve up fast action during the spring.