Although Arkansas might not be the most renowned crappie fishing state, it certainly has its share of great places to fish for white and black crappie. To take advantage, you’ll need to know when and where to fish along with how many of the crappie you can catch.
Arkansas Crappie Fishing Tips
Best Time of the Year
As with most places to fish for crappie, the best time is just before and during the spawning season. This means the late winter and early months of spring. Starting in late February and running through April. This is when the crappie become most active and are the easiest to catch. Arkansas is a southern state which means it starts to warm up faster compared to northern states.
However, you can catch crappie year-round in the state. While not as easy to catch, you can find plenty of crappies if you know where to look and use the right techniques.
Limit
Today, the current limit on catching crappie is 30 per day. This limit applies across the state. It was not long ago that Arkansas was split into two sections which dictated the limit. That is no longer the case, although it is true that certain areas may have exceptions to the state limit. You will need to check them out for yourself before you fish in a particular body of water.
Best Places to Fish for Crappie
While nearly every lake and a large pond in Arkansas is inhabited by crappie, there are certain locations that seem to have more than others. The most popular locations include but are not limited to the following.
- Lake Dardanelle
- Nimrod Lake
- Lake Conway
- Lake Greeson
- Lake Hamilton
Other exceptional areas to fish for crappie include Lake Maumelle which offers a considerable amount of black crappie. The best time to fish this lake is during the spawning season early in the spring. If you are in the southwest part of the state, then Lake Millwood and Bois d’Arc Lake are also excellent places to find crappie.
You can also try the Arkansas River and White River, two of the most popular places to fish. The Arkansas River tends to be slower moving, so you should have no issues setting up to land crappie.
Tips
Generally speaking, a light line on the pole with the right minnow or jig tends to work best. This allows the bait to move freely without spooking the crappie. Since crappie tends to be fairly light at one to two pounds, it’s advisable that you use a cork or floater that is weighted down with a split shot so that it sits just above the water. When it dips or pops up, you probably have crappie on the line.
The best place to fish in the lakes, rivers, streams, and large ponds is along the edges of grass and weeds. This is where the crappie tends to feed on small insects.
Arkansas is a beautiful state that has many lakes, rivers, and large ponds that offer plenty of crappie fishing opportunities. While some areas are better than others, you almost cannot go wrong if you fish for crappie during the right time of the year.
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