I have been reading the new In-Fisherman Book Series called Critical Consepts. This one is on crappie fundamentals. It's the first update in the In-Fisherman Crappie Wisdom book since 1985.

I am about half way though the book. But it did have a section on winter or cold water period fishing. When the water temps drop below 50 deg and get down to 40 in rivers. They claim that crappie will get out of the current and go up streams or into Old Oxbow. They will suspend behind bridge pilings to help break the current. Or they will get out of the current and go into offshoots of the river, creeks. If the creek water is muddy you may find them near the area of the creek where the mud line starts or ends. That transition zone is where some have told me to fish the creeks off the Ohio River.

I may start fising Little Pigeon Creek in Warrick County, IN. It runs for about 18 miles from the mouth at the Ohio River upstream and toward the north for many miles. There is even an oxbow type lake near where highway 66 crosses over the creek. Not sure how deep this bay is but I'll bet there are some crappie in there at different times of the years. Big crappie may come up out of the river to get out of the current. Maybe the area near the mouth of this creek where it empties into the Ohio River would be a good spot. There are many barges in this area I am told so if you do venture out to fish this area be careful of the barge traffic.

I would think that Oil Creek in Perry County and the other creeks in this area would hold crappie too. Any small creek that can get the fish out of the current and that has lots of stumps along the creek edges may hold big crappie. Outside bends in the creek channel may contain the steeper drops or banks. That's because the outside edge of a river or creek is normally undercut. That provides a steep profile and sometimes there are exposed roots of old stumps or trees that once grew along the edge of the creek.
Regards,

Moose1am