Spring is a fantastic time for heading to your favorite crappie hole to sack up a mess of the speckled fish that all of us Okie anglers fancy catching. Specks, speckled perch, papermouths, calico bass, or just plain slabs: Whatever you call them, now's the time to go catch a mess of crappie at a watery venue near you.

Whether you live near the two biggest metropolitan areas in the state or nowhere near, a crappie hole supporting schools of scrappy, silvery fish just waiting to ambush your jigs or minnows will lie close to your home base. So read up on the top spots, grab your fishing gear and go catch a limit.

TULSA-AREA CRAPPIE HOLES
Lake Tenkiller
Lying in the heart of Oklahoma's Green Country is Lake Tenkiller, which covers 12,650 acres near Tahlequah. According to Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation lake expert Gary Peterson, recent habitat improvements mean that the crappie fishing can be tremendous.

"We have added a number of brushpiles to provide shelters for fish," he said. "The lake elevation is down slightly due to a long-term drought, but anglers should find crappie abundant."

A 10-inch minimum-length limit is in force, and according to statistics, two out of three fish will fall short of the legal size. Still, the crappie are relatively easy to catch, and occasionally some real slabs, fish in the 2- to 3-pound range, are caught.

Another good prospect on the lake involves fishing off one of the lake's many docks. James Bunch, who manages the Caney Ridge Marina, says that the crappie fishing is worthwhile year 'round.

"We sunk a bunch of trees around the dock and they provide good crappie habitat," he reported. "We also have an enclosed dock that can be fished during inclement weather."

Bunch says that, for a small fee, anglers can enjoy a relaxing day of fishing off his docks and, usually, can catch themselves some fish. Caney Ridge Marina is on the north end of the lake in the Dry Creek Cove area. For more information, contact Bunch at (918) 457-4417.

The daily limit is 15 crappie.

Grand Lake
Cliff Sager of the ODWC oversees the fisheries at several of the state's northeast lakes, and rates Grand and Gibson as two dandy holes for crappie.

"Historically, Fort Gibson and Grand lakes have the reputation of being the two best crappie lakes in northeast Oklahoma," opined Sager. In fact, Bernice State Park, on the northwest side of Grand Lake, bills itself as the "Crappie Fishing Capital of Oklahoma."

Grand, which covers 46,500 surface-acres near Grove, is the head of a chain of lakes including Hudson and Fort Gibson. The banks of this deep, rocky lake are quite steep. The ODWC has improved the lake's fishing quality with the addition of brushpiles and aquatic habitat enhancements.