What is the best crappie lake in the Midwest?

Truman Lake in Missouri is our first pick; Lake of the Ozarks and Table Rock Lake are close behind.

When is the best time to fish for crappie?

Schooled on deeper brush piles. Fish small jigs slowly. Schooled on deeper brush piles. Fish small jigs slowly.

Best crappie lakes in the Midwest: 12 lakes to fish

Crappie school up on brush, timber and docks, and the Midwest is full of lakes with all three. Here are 12 lakes where crappie are on record, with where to start on each.

The lakes

Lake	State	Also holds
Truman Lake	Missouri	largemouth bass, catfish, white bass
Lake of the Ozarks	Missouri	largemouth bass, catfish, white bass
Table Rock Lake	Missouri	largemouth bass, white bass, walleye
Milford Lake	Kansas	walleye, white bass, catfish
Lake Shelbyville	Illinois	largemouth bass, walleye, white bass
Lake Monroe	Indiana	largemouth bass, white bass, catfish
Red Lake	Minnesota	walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, bluegill
Lake Sharpe	South Dakota	walleye, smallmouth bass, catfish, northern pike, white bass
Waubay Lake	South Dakota	northern pike, walleye, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, white
Rathbun Lake	Iowa	walleye, catfish
Patoka Lake	Indiana	largemouth bass, bluegill, catfish, walleye
El Dorado Lake	Kansas	catfish, trout, walleye, white bass

1. Truman Lake, Missouri

At 55,600 acres, Truman Lake is a huge piece of water. Crappie, largemouth bass, catfish and white bass are the draw. The deepest water is around 80 ft. Its bed shows three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves worth a first look.

Truman Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

2. Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri

At 54,000 acres, Lake of the Ozarks is a huge piece of water. The fish here are crappie, largemouth bass, catfish and white bass. At about 130 ft deep, it stays cooler below the surface well into summer. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves: good places to start.

Lake of the Ozarks today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

3. Table Rock Lake, Missouri

At 43,100 acres, Table Rock Lake is a big lake. Expect crappie, largemouth bass, white bass and walleye. It goes down to about 220 ft. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves: good places to start.

Table Rock Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

4. Milford Lake, Kansas

At 15,700 acres, Milford Lake is a big lake. Crappie, walleye, white bass and catfish are the draw. The deepest water is around 65 ft. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves: good places to start.

Milford Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

5. Lake Shelbyville, Illinois

Lake Shelbyville covers 11,100 acres of water. Expect crappie, largemouth bass, walleye and white bass. It goes down to about 67 ft. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves: good places to start.

Lake Shelbyville today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

6. Lake Monroe, Indiana

Lake Monroe spreads over 10,800 acres. The fish here are crappie, largemouth bass, white bass and catfish. It goes down to about 59 ft.

Lake Monroe today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

7. Red Lake, Minnesota

Red Lake spreads over 282,000 acres. You will find it next to Redby. The fish here are crappie, walleye, northern pike and yellow perch. It goes down to about 35 ft. On the 3-D map the bed has two point drop-offs and an upper arm: good places to start. Red Lake is the largest lake located entirely within the state of Minnesota.

Red Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

8. Lake Sharpe, South Dakota

Lake Sharpe covers 56,900 acres of water. You will find it right by Fort Pierre. It is the Missouri River behind Big Bend Dam. The fish here are crappie, walleye, smallmouth bass and catfish. At about 78 ft deep, it stays cooler below the surface well into summer. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and a sheltered cove: good places to start. Lake Sharpe is a Missouri River reservoir behind Big Bend Dam, with walleye as its primary gamefish.

Lake Sharpe today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

9. Waubay Lake, South Dakota

At 15,500 acres of water, Waubay Lake is a big lake. It lies about 2.6 miles southwest of Webster. Crappie, northern pike, walleye and smallmouth bass are the draw. The deepest water is around 31 ft.

Waubay Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

10. Rathbun Lake, Iowa

At 11,000 acres of water, Rathbun Lake is a big lake. It lies about 6.2 miles southeast of Centerville. The fish here are crappie, walleye and catfish. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves: good places to start. Rathbun Lake on the Chariton River is Iowa's largest reservoir by normal-pool surface area aside from Red Rock.

Rathbun Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

11. Patoka Lake, Indiana

Patoka Lake is a reservoir of 8,800 acres of water. The lake is about 43 miles east of Louisville. It holds crappie, largemouth bass, bluegill and catfish. The deepest water is around 52 ft. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves: good places to start. Patoka Lake, Indiana's second-largest reservoir, was completed in 1978 and is jointly managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Indiana DNR.

Patoka Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

12. El Dorado Lake, Kansas

El Dorado Lake covers 8,000 acres. It lies near El Dorado. El Dorado Lake Dam holds it on the Walnut River. It holds crappie, catfish, trout and walleye. The deepest water is around 60 ft. Its bed shows three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves worth a first look. El Dorado Lake on the Walnut River is Kansas's largest state park lake and is stocked with rainbow trout in winter.

El Dorado Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

Crappie through the year in the Midwest

The water temperature on the day matters more than the calendar: each lake page on LakeScope shows today's surface temperature and how the fish should react to it.

Spring: Schooled on deeper brush piles. Fish small jigs slowly.
Summer: Hot water. Deeper brush and bridge pilings, early or at night.
Fall: Schooled on deeper brush piles. Fish small jigs slowly.
Winter: Cold. Tight schools near deep brush and bridges.