NORTHWEST LOUISIANA
The northwest portion of the state features some top-quality crappie destinations, especially during the spring spawn.

Toledo Bend Reservoir
This mammoth pond of some 186,000 acres is a crappie haven. In spring, the shallow shorelines from one end of the lake to the other produce literally thousands of crappie.

Look for the coves and shallow stretches that warm quickly to trigger the spawn before deeper areas kick in. Jigs or shiners fished around shallow structure are almost guaranteed to produce plenty of fat crappie.

Lake Bistineau
This 17,200-acre lake touches Bossier, Webster and Bienville parishes and is a hideout for crappie in spring.

James Seales, a fisheries biologist working out of the Minden District LDWF office, says that Bistineau is a great lake to try for spring crappie. “This lake has lots of islands that produce more shorelines around the lake,” he observed. “Fishing the trees and brush just offshore with shiners or jigs is the way to go for crappie here in spring.”

Grand Bayou Reservoir
“This is probably the lake holding the most hope for fantastic fishing this spring,” said Seales. “The lake has undergone a significant drawdown and should be full again by spring. The new flood ground that had been laid bare by the drawdown should trigger some super crappie fishing action.”

Grand Bayou, a 2,500-acre lake, is in Red River Parish just east of Coushatta.

Cross Lake
This 9,000-acre lake on the outskirts of Shreveport is a popular lake for a variety of freshwater fish, with channel catfish probably garnering the top bill. However, Seales confirms that crappie fishing is quite popular here in spring.

“This lake has lots of shallow shorelines and can be quite good for catching crappie during the spring spawn,” he said. Lake Claiborne
Just east of Homer, Lake Claiborne features 6,400 acres of quality fishing, especially in springtime.

“This lake is known for its super wintertime crappie fishing, as crappie suspend over deep water out from the dam. However, it can be quite good in spring fishing jigs and shiners around shallow structure up the creeks and run-outs,” Seales noted.

CENTRAL LOUISIANA
This region of the state covers a number of good crappie lakes from the Texas line in the west to the Mississippi River in the East.

Sibley Lake
This 2,125-acre lake just outside the city of Natchitoches is the source for the town’s drinking water. The lake is governed by a commission that sells inexpensive annual fishing permits.

According to LDWF fisheries biologist Ricky Moses, who works in the department’s Pineville office, Sibley Lake is full of crappie.

“The crappie here are generally not too large but they make up in quantity what they lack in quality,” said Moses. “Fishing along the alligator weed line in spring or around the docks and coves produces plenty of crappie. Most fishermen use shiners here, but jigs will also work.”