Nicknamed the “Crappie King” by Oklahoma fishing legend Don Wallace, Jinkens, who owns the Canton Motel and operates a guide service, believes the lake is one of the best crappie lakes in the state.

“The lake has some real nice crappie that are usually fairly easy to locate in February,” opined Jinkens. “The crappie will vary from 1/2 to 1 1/2 pounds on average, but it is not uncommon to catch crappie over 2 pounds.”

The best spots for winter slabs lie in the Canadian area of the lake, where there is bank access from a jetty located there. The dam is 3 1/2 miles long and is a likely spot for casting a pair of jigs or dunking some minnows. Jinkens advises that there are three pull-off areas by the dam, and these are places where crappie congregate. The ODWC has enhanced the lake’s habitat with numerous brushpiles, and though unmarked, they can be located with sonar equipment.

Jinkens’ favorite artificial bait is a 2-inch Bobby Garland Baby Shad in black and chartreuse, red and chartreuse, white and chartreuse, and blue and white colors. Minnows and jigs will work well also, and most fish will be caught from depths ranging from 12 to 18 feet.

To get up-to-the-minute fishing reports or to book a trip with the Crappie King, contact Jinkens at (580) 886-5170. The lake limit is 37 crappie.

LAKE OOLOGAH
Located 30 minutes north of Tulsa is Lake Oologah, another exceptional crappie lake. “The lake gets very little publicity,” said Tulsa fishing expert Gary Dollohan, who believes the lake is tops for wintertime crappie angling. Dollohan experienced success there last February during a bitter cold day under the tutelage of Red Miller -- a local expert.

Miller, a Dewey resident, has fished the lake for 30 years and says the crappie will be in their pre-spawn routines in February. “The crappie will be moving from the main body of the lake up the river systems, in search of suitable spawning sites,” advised Miller. “The crappie will then stage at varying depths and will usually bite aggressively.”

“The lake’s crappie will average 11 to 16 inches in length and weigh 1/2 to 1 1/2 pounds,” said Miller. “However, it is not uncommon to catch a slab over 2 1/4 pounds,” noted Miller, who’s landed a 3 1/2-pounder there.

Miller, who uses Gene Larew’s crappie jigs in black and chartreuse colors, prefers to release any crappie under 11 inches in length. He named Big Creek and Spencer Creek as two productive areas, and cited Goat Bluff in Spencer Creek as a good place for bank anglers.

The lake limit is 37 crappie.

LAKE TEXOMA
Lake Texoma, a 91,200-acre impoundment on the Oklahoma/Texas border, is a real gem for winter crappie anglers. Oklahoma city lawyer Chris Box fishes from a private indoor dock there, and he regularly hauls in his share of bragging-sized specks, with some over 3 pounds. He uses both jigs and small minnows, and he usually doesn’t have to wait long for his rod to start twitching.

“I really enjoy fishing Texoma in February,” Box said. “I’ve caught some nice crappie there, with my best weighing almost 4 pounds.”

Anglers fishing Texoma can target crappie in several of the lake’s traditional winter hotspots -- areas such as Washita Point, Roosevelt Bridge, Soldier Creek, Alberta Creek, Buncombe Creek and the Railroad Bridge.

Anglers may take 37 crappie daily; the fish must attain a minimum length of 10 inches. Since this lake straddles both Oklahoma and Texas, a Texas fishing license is required for fishing on any area on the Texas side.