April is a tremendous month to get in on some great crappie fishing, and there are numerous lakes close to Oklahoma City that teem with spawning crappie just yearning to gorge themselves into obesity.

Within an hour's driving time of the city lie three fantastic crappie holes that receive less pressure than the better-known lakes -- Thunderbird, Hefner and Arcadia. In fact, these lakes are worth the trip because they'll reward anglers with hard-fighting panfish that make excellent table fare.

Here, I'll highlight my choices of three sleeper lakes within a short drive of the city, where beginners and experts alike are sure to get their rods bent and their ice chests full of healthy black and white crappie.

LAKE CHICKASHA
Chickasha Lake lies between Chickasha and Anadarko and within an hour's drive of Oklahoma City. The lake is small, only 820 acres, but it's relatively clear; fed by two creeks and featuring a fair-sized complement of stickups, it typically produces good numbers of slab-sized crappie.

According to Larry Cofer with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, the lake's shoreline vegetation is less luxuriant that it formerly was. That's due to the lake being drawn down to prevent flooding.

Albert "Paw-Paw" Baldwin lives near Wes Watkins Lake and fishes it several times a week, year 'round, so he knows the lake's slabs, and some tricks for locating them. Here he shows off a stringer of "good ones" from one of his honeyholes. (Photo by Jack Michaels)

"Most of the crappie we have sampled have been black crappie, and the average weight will be a half-pound," said Cofer. "When the lake first opened there were some really nice crappie caught, but lately the size is not what it once was, though there are still some nice-sized crappie in the lake."

Cofer suggests that April crappie anglers concentrate their efforts near the small pods of cattails on the northwest side of the lake. He also believes the dam is a good spot for catching crappie. The lake features an enclosed fishing dock, which is open to the public, and some underwater brushrows added to supplement fish habitat. Those areas are clearly marked with buoys.

Chickasha Lake doesn't offer much cover, but there are a few brushy areas beneath the surface that can be found with sonar equipment. These areas are also good spots to probe for post-spawn crappie.

Cofer believes the crappie growth rates have slowed down from what the lake once produced, but still believes the lake can be dandy at times.

Anglers fishing Chickasha Lake are allowed a limit of 37 crappie. Payment of an access fee is required.

LAKE R. C. LONGMIRE
West of Pauls Valley is Longmire Lake. This lake attracts a lot of spring crappie anglers due to the abundant standing timber, which offers great habitat for crappie to congregate. The lake consists of 935 acres of clear to stained water that is home to good numbers of slab-sized papermouths.

According to Bob Myers, an expert guide on Longmire, the lake is a great spot for springtime crappie fishing. "A few years back, the lake consistently produced some 2- to 3-pound crappie," Myers said. "I've even seen some crappie that weighed 4 pounds."

The lake had a moss problem a few years back, but when the moss was eliminated, the lake's clarity suffered. Now the lake is stained most of the time, and some parts can get muddy after a good rain.

The lake has a network of underwater creek channels that existed before the lake was filled, and the treerows along the banks of those creeks are good places to search for specks. In the west arm of the lake, Myers says, is an inundated pond that's another great place for finding good-sized specks.

A good depthfinder will assist in finding those underwater structures that are sure to hold good numbers of crappie. Boat anglers normally drift-fish with minnows, while artificial bait enthusiasts use both marabou and Road Runner jigs, along with the usual small curlytail plastic baits.