Leon Mixer, who works for the city of Edmond at the lake, offered that the enclosed fishing dock at the Spring Creek Boat Ramp is a great place to fish as well. "The dock actually is popular with crappie anglers, when the fish start biting," said Mixer, who monitors the spot daily. "I've seen some pretty nice sized crappie come out of there."

Another likely spot is the southeast side of the lake; heavily wooded, it's teeming with crappie. Care should be exercised when navigating through the thick vegetation.

The lake is a fee-use area with prices posted at the entrances. The access fees are pricey, but usually well worth the outstanding fishing found there.

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

According to the OWDC's Larry Cofer, the lake's shoreline vegetation is less luxuriant now than formerly, owing to the lake having been drawn down to prevent flooding.

"Most of the crappie we have sampled have been black crappie, and the average weight will be a half-pound," he said. "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 suggested 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 brush rows 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. Those areas are good spots to probe for post-spawn crappie.

Cofer thinks that though crappie growth rates have slowed from what was once typical at the lake, the lake still can be dandy at times.

Anglers fishing Chickasha Lake are allowed the state limit of 37 crappie. An access fee is charged.