Crappie

[Justin92297]

Anyone know of any good crappie lakes in the stl area? The ones at Busch are alright but seem to be pretty pressured

[WHARFRAT]

For number, you can't beat Busch Wildlife. Lakes 33 and 35 are full of crappie. Small fish, 6-8" is common. I think 35 is a little better for size.

Other places I used to have crappie success is Simpson lake in valley park.

Dresser island in west Alton, in fact I just got a report from a friend that had decent luck about a week ago.

Piasa Creek off the. Mississippi.

Another friend in wentzville said there is a lake that is ok just about 20 minutes north of him, called Whiteside Lake (?)

I have also caught crappie in the lake in Forest Park. It's the one close to kingshighway.

Also try Howell Island. Or George winter park in Fenton.

[Justin92297]

Thanks! I will try lake 35 and definitely Howell island. I live close

[WHARFRAT]

You should be able to boat a mess of 9 inchers out of lake 35, but you'll have to go thru a bunch of small ones too.

Boats are cheap if you have a trolling mtr & battery. But if you have to rent those, it's a little high$.

If the water is up close to the walkway at Howell Island, fishing can be pretty interesting. I've caught Crappie, Drum, hooked Gar, and have gotten into some white bass. If its real low and you have to walk down on the rocks, then I wouldn't waste your time.

[Justin92297]

Alright sounds good. Normally I fish with jigs or tubes tipped with crappie nibbles. Will that get the job done?

[WHARFRAT]

That's all I use. Sometimes if the bite gets l little tuff on lake 35, I'll pull the jig behind the boat and pick up a few. . The productive spots are going past the two jetties where the boats are stored about 25 yards out from them, then head right and go up to the island on the right hand side and circle left. You'll pick up a few that way.

[mjk86]

Do you know when they will start renting boats? I think the website says apr1-oct 1....but I went up there last fall in mid oct and there were boats out?? I was cursing myself for not bringing the battery/motor. Do they just play it by ear with the weather? I use jigs/minnows, and the little 1.5inch panfish assassin baits. Thats interesting wharf about the island....ive never crappie fished the upper part of the lake, only the darn to about mid lake. Ill have to give it a try! Ive had my best luck with big bass in early april around those islands.

[WHARFRAT]

They normally have a limited amout of boats out now, and you usually have to be in by 5. (if I remember correctly).. I think this coming weekend they'll be open normal hours 7 days a week.

Don't forget about Prairle Lake by the hwy 40/94 commuter lot, its also got a lot of crappie in it. Small, but plentiful. No boats though. I wish they would allow something. I'm too lazy to walk all the way around that sucker to the other side. And like always, the other side looks better than the side you are fishing on!

[Haris122]

I spent a couple hours at Lake 33 today after spending another few hours on lake 7 without any luck, and I couldn't buy me a bite on 33 either. Was kind of hoping to catch and release a nice Bass or a Carp, but then I saw the brush labeled crappie beds, so I kind of tried focusing near them, but nothing came of any of it. I was really surprised nothing took the sweet corn carp bait I had got at "the outpost", cause that stuff smells so good I was tempted to eat it myself, haha. Like a sweetcorn version of nutella chocolate spread.

But yeah, I didn't switch it up much. First went at a couple of the crappie beds with a roadrunner with a plastic worm attached, then switched to a roostertail, then switched up to a bigger roostertail, and also had a spoon type lure fluttering around. Not the best options to really get in those beds, but I got there too late to use the boats, and the water was really dingy so I wanted something I could cast a good distance with, so something, bass, crappie, whatever, would have a better chance of noticing it on a longer retrieve. Unfortunately it didn't pan out.

I think the really dingy water coupled with the weather being cold and windy earlier in the day just shut them off. Otherwise I'm sure I would've got something go for that carp bait at least.

[Geoff]

I was on 35 yesterday and went out to get skunked by muskie.

My plan worked out fantastic!!! ;) just remember, there are no fish at Busch.