Photo by Keith Sutton

Crappies are popular fish. According to a 2005 study conducted by the Indiana Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) and Purdue University, papermouths are the third most fished for species in Indiana, only slightly behind bluegills and largemouth bass.

Of the anglers responding to this survey, the average age was 48, with the age span ranging from 18 to 80. Even more interesting was although approximately four out of five anglers are male, over half of those who were married have spouses who fish. That means plenty of family-style fishing. And most of them live near a metropolitan area.

That’s good news because there are plenty of good crappie waters in the Hoosier State within an easy drive of most cities. Let’s take a close look at five top lakes in our state for papermouths.

MISSISSINEWA LAKE
Located in Miami, Wabash and Grant counties, this north-central Indiana U.S. Army Corps of Engineers impoundment is one of the state’s true crappie hotspots. It’s only a short drive from Fort Wayne.

“Crappie populations tend to be cyclical in our area,” said DWF District 4 biologist Ed Braun. “We’ve had good reports about Mississinewa for a couple of years now. I think it’ll be real good in 2008.”

By “real good,” this professional fisheries manager means that Hoosier anglers can expect to catch a fair number of slabs between 10 and 12 inches long. True, they won’t all be that big. Most of them will be around the traditional 8- to 9-inch length. But still, that’s a pretty good day of fishing and will make for a fine supper.

The tough thing about fishing this impoundment is learning to deal with fluctuating water levels. At winter pool, its elevation is 712 feet above sea level. At that height, the lake covers 1,280 acres. At summer pool, that same measurement will be 737 feet and the lake will cover 3,180 acres. That’s a 25-foot vertical increase in the water level and a nearly threefold increase in size.

All of this water movement makes for some unusual conditions. First, it affects the spawn. Crappies find it very difficult to lay eggs successfully under these conditions. Eggs dropped in 5 feet of water during ideal conditions may be covered with 15 feet of water -- and plenty of silt -- in only a day or two. In that context, Braun’s comment about crappie fishing being cyclical takes on a new meaning.

Second, it can be hard to fish. At winter pool, most of the shoreline cover and structure will be exposed. Then, beginning in early spring, as the water rises, more of the exposed structure will be covered. This isn’t a big deal if it’s just a couple of feet, but 25 feet is a big deal. It completely changes the lake you’re fishing.