Anglers at Lake Arcadia should focus on the long ODWC brushpiles, which are clearly marked by orange-and-white buoys.

When water temperatures approach 60 degrees, crappie congregate in the shallow, brushy areas to be found in several of the coves at Fort Cobb. As at the previously mentioned lakes, minnows, jigs and small plastic baits will lure the hard-fighting crappie.

The top fishing spots on the lake are brushy points and the rocky area near the dam.

CANTON RESERVOIR
Lying 75 miles northwest of Oklahoma City, Canton Lake was originally built as a water-supply lake for Oklahoma City, but it's best known for the festive fishing contest that is the annual Walleye Rodeo. According to Donnie Jinkens, a 40-year resident of the lake, many anglers overlook this prolific 7,910-acre fishery.

I met Jinkens -- dubbed "The Crappie King" -- a few months ago, and was drawn by his warm personality. A devout Christian and operator of the Canton Motel, Jinkens is an incredibly gifted fishing guide on the lake, and while he can usually provide a limit of several of Canton's species, he's developed a special degree of prowess with catching slab-sized crappie.

"This lake is one of the most overlooked crappie lakes in the state," he opined. "In late April, and I generally catch some of my biggest crappie. The crappie will vary from 1/2 to 1 1/2 pounds on average, but it's not uncommon to catch crappie over 2 pounds." In fact, Jinkens' best slab weighed over 3 pounds; it's mounted on the wall of the motel's office.

Jinkens advised targeting the northwest end of the lake around the cattails, as most of the lake's crappie spawn there. The area around the islands is also a worthwhile spot, and the Canadian area has a jetty for bank-anglers. The three-and-a half-mile-long dam is a likely spot for casting a pair of jigs or dunking some minnows. Jinkens noted that three pulloff areas by the dam are places at which 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 at depths ranging from 12 to 18 feet.