When crappie fishing becomes the topic of conversation, big lakes dominate the discussions.
Mark Twain is mentioned as is Rathbun and Kentucky Lake. Up north Geneva gets press and in the south Bull Shoals. All have merit and all of these big bodies of water produce their share of nice limits.
However, you do not have to travel hundreds of miles and fish large reservoirs to find bonafide “slab-side” crappie. Smaller waters, closer to home, can provide some of the finest crappie fishing that can be found. And it does not matter where you call home.
Farm ponds and small lakes are prime targets for anglers looking for a stringer of nice crappie. The biggest crappie I ever caught came out of a pond in Brown County, Ill., that is no bigger than my yard. That 16-inch fish is on my wall.
There are many things that make small bodies of water especially appealing to crappie fishermen. In smaller waters the fish are easier to find. On a big lake, once the spawn is over, crappie disperse and it can be very difficult to find a good concentration of them.
