(Lewis) DNR Fisheries Biologist John Lorenzen is getting reports from anglers fishing for crappie.
Lorenzen says good reports from Viking Lake, particularly the pontoon seawall area.
Lorenzen says the crappies are colored up and spawning or about to spawn. He says anglers use small jigs tipped with a small piece of worm (artificial or real) under a bobber two feet.
An angler reported catching 12-inch crappie and nine-plus-inch bluegills at Prairie Rose. Other places to try for crappie would be Littlefield and Anita.
Lorenzen says Littlefield had the highest crappie catch rates last year, according to the DNR’s annual surveys, and he anticipates that to be the same this year. He says the best place to fish is the dam, in particular the NW corner, as crappies like to spawn near there, and catch rates can be good once they are staged up in the shallow water.
Crappie spawn typically occurs in spring when water temperatures reach the low 60s. The spawning period can last several weeks, with males building nests in shallow, sheltered areas before females arrive to lay eggs. The exact timing can vary depending on location and water conditions, but generally ranges from late March to mid-May.
