You don't have to go far to look for a good place for Arkansas crappie fishing. According to anglers in the state, almost every resident in the state lives within an hour of a choice fishing spot. The state is divided into ten fishing districts, each of which is littered with lakes and rivers where schools of crappie swarm, always offering fishermen a guaranteed good catch. However, each district has its own top lake or river for Arkansas crappie fishing, where you're sure to catch some whoppers. I'm going to go over the 4 best in this article.



District 1 in the northwest has several lakes to boast with great Arkansas crappie fishing. However, Beaver Lake is known for containing a lot of great habitat for crappie in its 28,000+ acres. Though the size of the lake may cause difficulties in locating the schools of crappie, once you find them, you shouldn't be surprised to get several trophy-worthy slabs. Situated in the Ozarks, Beaver Lake is also a beautiful location for Arkansas crappie fishing. In the spring, you might also try Coose Creek or Esculapia Hollow in the Pine Creek area.

While District 2 in the northern Ozarks is probably not the optimal part of the state for Arkansas crappie fishing, a trip to the upper end of Bull Shoals Lake can reap some rewards. Don't bother with the lower areas of the lake; it seems the best spawn are found in the upper reaches of the 45,500-acre Corps reservoir, with most catch averaging around 1/2 of a pound and a few reaching two pounds. Search for sunken brush piles in Tucker Hollow or West Sugar Loaf, also, as there is very little visible cover for crappie in these areas.

In District 3 in the northeast corner of Arkansas, crappie fishing is good. There are several large popular lakes, but it's little Lake Hogue, hidden away in the delta farm country, that contains some of the largest slabs. This lake was completely renovated in 1985 and has been stocked with big fish that produce MORE big fish. Though it's only about 280 acres, it's full of great cover for crappie.

District 4 is probably one of the best areas for crappie in the entire country. Arkansas crappie fishing here encompasses several excellent lakes, including Midway, Old Town, and Mellwood Old River Lake. Though Midway and Old Town are both great crappie fishing spots, Mellwood Old River Lake known for producing a day's limit of 50 2-pounders for many fishermen.

Just focusing on these 4 districts while crappie fishing in Arkansas will put you in the best position to catch a ton of crappie - and isn't that what it's all about?