If you're looking for some great crappie fishing, now's the time to go. Most of our lakes host plenty of crappies and a few of them will be pumping out good numbers of trophy-class slabs this year.

Whether you're looking for a fish fry this spring or the chance for a wallhanger, here's where some of the state's best crappie action will be.

CECIL M. HARDEN LAKE
Cecil Harden is an old standby that's always near the top of any list when it comes to Indiana's best crappie waters. A few years ago, a cyclical upswing in the papermouth population sent hordes of fish into the 10- to 13-inch range. There are still plenty of these fish up for grabs.

"Based on survey results and some past creel results, I'd venture to say that the number of crappies had dropped to a low spot a couple of years ago," said fisheries biologist Rhett Wisener. "With that said I suspect that recruitment improved in the past year or two and that this year will be a good one for crappie fishing."

Ryan Lemery, the Raccoon State Recreation Area (SRA) assistant property manager, fishes the lake often and he knows it well.

According to Lemery, there are many 10- to 12-inch crappies in the lake. He's successful with a 1/8- to 1/16-ounce jig and a 2- to 3-inch plastic grub in a variety of colors.

According to Lemery, the lake's hotspots produce well. These include the Walker Boat Ramp area and the treetops in the area known as the Narrows, which is north of the main boat ramp where the rock bluffs have eroded. Shore-bound anglers will enjoy the action near the U.S. Route 36 bridge. The structure is right up along the shoreline and the fishing is good. (Continued)

As summer rolls in, the crappies will move out into deeper water. The best locations to find the bigger fish are where the water drops into the depths fairly rapidly. Papermouths up to 17 inches have graced anglers' stringers. Jig-and-minnow combinations and minnows fished under a bobber are irresistible offerings.

Crappies are notorious roamers on Harden. At times, they'll be up along shallow shoreline cover, especially in the early spring, and then will move out into water 10 to 15 feet deep and seemingly disappear. Good electronics can take much of the guesswork out of finding them and save time that might otherwise be wasted on dead water.

Cecil M. Harden Lake is also known as Mansfield Reservoir or Raccoon Lake. It covers 2,060 acres in Parke and Putnam counties and is part of the Raccoon SRA.

Harden Lake is nine miles east of Rockville on U.S. 36. Several boat ramps are available and a daily or an annual boat launch permit is needed at designated ramps. Rowboats and canoes can be rented at the state park.

For more information, contact District 5 at (765) 342-5527, the Raccoon SRA at (765) 344-1412 or Buddy's Bait Shop in Waveland at (765) 435-2317.

Information on where to stay can be found by contacting the Parke County Chamber of Commerce at (765) 569-5565 or online at www.parkecounty chamber.com.