bank crappie fishing in southern IN

[daniel240]

Hi everyone, just found this forum today and have been reading it all day. Anyway I'm from Evansville and I was wanting to get some opinions on where a good lake would be to fish for crappie from the bank since I no longer have a boat. I have bass and bluegill fished my whole life but never fished for crappie and I thought I would give it a try. I really dont know much about it other than what I have been reading. I was thinking of trying Bluegrass or maybe the lake at USI, I heard there were crappie in there. If anyone has any suggestions or pointers that would be great. Im off this week and it looks like the weathers going to be getting warmer.

[Moose1am]

I would suggest fishing Loon Pit. The North Parking lot of Loon Pit has a lagoon right adjacent to the parking lot. This is the lagoon on the West side of this gravel parking lot. Crappie often come up along the bank (East side of the Lagoon) because it's deeper here than on the West side of this lagoon. I checked the depths with my humminbird depth finder to find this out. The very back end of this lagoon you may noticed a few small stickups. I've caught some nice crappie in there from time to time on a slip bobber and a small jig. A minnow and bobber would work well in this spot. This spot produces in the spring as the water here warms up faster than the deeper water. And it's on the North End of Loon Pit so any warm south winds will blow the warm surface waters into this lagoon. Then there is a spot where the water from Bluegrass pit flows under Boonville New Harmony Rd and into Loon pit. The ditch empties into Loon pit. This is a well know spot for catfish and bass. There may be a few crappie there as well.

Otter pit has a lot of areas that can be fished from the bank. But all my known crappie spots on Otter require a boat to reach. Fishing from the ramp at otter pit can be productive at times. And between the concrete launch ramp and the Eastern edge of the parking lot can offer some good fishing. You may have to fight for a spot if there are others fishing there.

Another good spot on Otter pit is where the one big pits flows though a small canal into the smaller pit before it flows under the roadway and off into the field to the West of Euler Rd. If we get rain and there is a good water flow though the canal then the fish may stack up in the smaller pit where the water empties into that smaller pit. This is the pit on the SW end of Otter Pit.

As for USI it's been a very long time since I fished that lake. I used to fish it for small bass and for bluegill. Some of the better spots are on the other side of reflection lake across from the campus side. That lake would be fun to fish with a small john boat and trolling motor but I don't think they allow that?

Use a slip bobber and jig and set the jig about 1 or 2 ft below the bobber and real in really really slow. The slower the better in this cold water. It may be 50 to 60 deg out side but the water is still very cold and the fish are cold blooded and slow. Note: the Very shallow waters on the North side of most lakes will warm up first before the other waters. And they get a lot warmer if they have exposure to the Sun and protection from Cold Northern Winds and have dark sandy bottoms. Wood also warms up the water around it and provides the fish cover. Might try fishing a weedless jig if you are fishing a lot of cover or brush piles. Crappie love to hide among sunken brush piles or submerged trees.

Hi everyone, just found this forum today and have been reading it all day. Anyway I'm from Evansville and I was wanting to get some opinions on where a good lake would be to fish for crappie from the bank since I no longer have a boat. I have bass and bluegill fished my whole life but never fished for crappie and I thought I would give it a try. I really don't know much about it other than what I have been reading. I was thinking of trying Bluegrass or maybe the lake at USI, I heard there were crappie in there. If anyone has any suggestions or pointers that would be great. I'm off this week and it looks like the weathers going to be getting warmer.

[daniel240]

Thanks a lot Moose! That helped out a lot. I know exactly the spot you are talking about on otter pit were the small canal is. I think I will fish bluegrass since its close and I can easily jump from pit to pit if I'm not having any luck. I'm really looking forward to catching some crappie. Its been a while since I've been fishing and I've been dying to go.

I still may try reflection lake at USI if I have time. There is a trail that goes around the backside of the lake and there are a few good places to fish from the bank back there. I have walked back there many times but have never fished it. A few people have told me they caught crappie in there so who knows. I rarely ever see anybody fishing in that lake.

[bassmanic1]

Hi ,
Just wanted to add my 2 cents . I know Moose likes Otter pit but personally I havent had much luck on any of the Bluegrass pits . I have caught some small crappie in Loon pit on the eastern back side in the boat but only caught good ones {11-14" } the first few years after they opened the pits , the past 2 years nothing but 7-8 inchers . The Bluegrass pit is worthless - not to step on any toe's - I wish I had all the time back I wasted getting skunked there . I believe it is fished out and now the DNR has stocked muskie ? No thanks . The lake at USI may have a few gill but there is a reason you dont see anyone fishing it . If you want to drive a little go up to Oakland City and fish the citys reservoir on the south side out of town , its called New Lake . Head up 57 and before you get to the stoplight with the Grandys res. take the last right turn - there will be a sign saying something about the lake . You go down about 5 miles past the RR tracks and the wire company . Its on the right . They have a real nice dam that is mowed and pretty good size so you can move around and they have a campground too . I have caught lots of descent gill and a few crappie off the bank . There is a boat ramp on the southern side of the lake and there is a self-serve bait shop in town and there is a DNR office where you can get maps of the area . If you cant get out of Eville why not try the lakes at Helfric { sic } golf course ? Or Cypress creek up past Newburgh ? If you really want to fish you should try and find a small jon boat and get out on the water - its the best way to be successful .


Tight lines

[daniel240]

Well I have always had good luck fishing bass and bluegill at bluegrass, although I never fish the big pits, I always stick to the smaller ones. I ushually go with my friend who has a boat but he is in Colorado for the week. I thought I would give Otter and Loon pits a try since moose said he has good luck there and I havent fished them in a while. Ive always heard that Oakland city lake was good fishing but Ive never tried it. I didnt know you were allowed to fish at the golf courses. I also thought about trying scales lake in boonville. I used to fish there years ago and always did ok. Has anyone fished there lately?

[Moose1am]

Let me clarify some information about my fishing on Otter Pit. Fish are not always in the same spot every day. There are ten different calendar periods according to the In-Fisherman Crappie Wisdom Book. Crappie is what I fish for so I'll just address this fish and where I find them in Otter pit. Each lake is different. And each lake will have fish in different areas at different times of the calendar year. Calendar year is based not really on the Gregorian Calendar. The cold water period may vary by a month or two up north and a week or two down south. It's based more on the weather changes and the water temperature.

You can go fish otter pit without knowing the exact spot and not catch a thing. Otter pit have very little structure. It's better than most Strip pits though. Most strip pits have a steep bank and very little shallow water shelves. Just a lot of open water. Crappie need some shallow water areas to spawn. Also Otter pit is Hydro logically Connected to the OHIO RIVER via ditches, and two creeks, Bluegrass Creek and Pigeon Creek. Pigeon Creek is better than most rivers in other parts of the country. And Bluegrass Creek is as big in some places as Blue River in Southern IN. So Fish from the Ohio River can swim up stream and reach Otter Pit when the Ohio River and these two creeks Flood. Back in 1996/07 this entire area was underwater and fish were free to swim from the Ohio River into Otter Pit. Otter pit and Loon Pit and Bluegrass pit are all Hydro logically Connected at times of flooding. So any fish that swims in the Ohio River can potentially be in any of these three pits. That makes these pits much different than most strip pits in Southern IN or any other parts of coal country.

Most people fish for crappie only in the spring time. That's because at this time of the year. (water temps reaching 60 to 65 deg F in the shallows) is when the crappie go into shallow water to spawn. Most bank fisherman can only fish the shallow waters near the bank. So during the spawning period they catch more crappie. Thus the spring crappie fishing phenomena.

But crappie don't vanish after the spawn. They are still in the lake and can be caught. You have to follow them to find them. This takes a lot of work and time. One good thing about fishing Otter pit is that it's big enough to hold lots of crappie and small enough to get to know well. But you can't fish it three or four times and expect to find the fish every time out.

I found some spots by watching other fishermen catching fish. This is by far the easies way to figure out a good spot. But still you have to do some work even after you know the general area and time of the year where the fish are. Like I said there are only a few structural elements in Otter pit that I have found. There are more there but I have not found them yet. I'll find a lot more of them this coming year hopefully. But one needs a boat, depth finder and a way to mark the spots Accurately. That's where a good gps comes in handy. You can triangulate spots and that works but the GPS is more fun.

You can eliminate 90% of the water using knowledge of where crappie like to hang out at different times of the year. Spring time they will be in the shallows mating. After that they move out into deeper water and will be found SUSPENDED about 10 ft down over deeper water. They frequent the part of the lake that I call "Confided Open Water". This is the area of the lake that's about 100ft away from a sharp drop off. Find a drop that goes from shallow water down to deep water and then slow troll the area off this drop out over the open water during the daylight hours in the hot summer months. Remember that during the hot summer months there is normally a thermocline. This prevents Oxygen from reaching the area of water beneath the thermocline. Thus the fish are trapped above the thermocline.

During the Coldest water period the crappie are found in the deeper waters close to the bottom. When there is ice on the lake the warmest water is found at the bottom on the lake.

In March the crappie are getting into prespawn areas. These are areas that are closer to the spawning sites but in still deep areas. The big drop off near the shallow water spawning areas can hold big crappie. When the water conditions get just right the males will head to the shallows and start building nest. When the water get just right the females will come to the shallows and drop their eggs. This may take a week or two weeks or more. Not all the female spawn at the same time.

As the water temperatures transition from the cold water period to the warm water periods the fish will move into the warmer water.

This time of the year March 7th I would look for areas of the lake that have shallow shelves with any wood. Areas on the North End of the lake that have shallow water in close proximity to deeper water would be prime areas. This applies not only to Otter Pit but any lake in the Midwest. Water temperature is the key. Stable water temperatures are needed for the eggs to develop and hatch properly. So the crappie will want a nice calm day with stable weather conditions. A cold front can drop the water temperature in the shallows a few degrees and that may chase the crappie out of the shallows for a few days.

So you bank fisherman can look forward to catching some crappie in the shallow waters in a few days or weeks. April is generally the time of year where the waters in Southern IN are at the proper temp for crappie to come into the shallows. Some years it may be late March and other years it may be later in April.

Early April is normally a good time to fish. That's when the air temps are just perfect for the fisherman and the fish on some days.

As for bass and otter pit I think I would favor other lakes if I were chasing bass. Not to say that there are not bass left in Otter Pit as there are. But other lakes may have a better bass population. The big pits on Bluegrass F&W are are pounded heavily by bass fisherman every year. And these lakes are small and have slower growth rates due to the water quality. All the pits beside Birddog pit have poor water quality. So bass take a few years longer to reach 18" on these pits. The first few years that BG was open it was raped. Stories of people taking big bass out of these water abound. Now there is an 18" size limit for LMB on BG and Loon Pits. Otter pit has the 14" size limit still.

Also note that you are not going to be catching 15" long Slab Crappie in these pits. If you want big crappie then go to Hovey Lake in Posy County and fish the drain. Or go to Perry County and fish the creeks that drain into the Ohio River. Oil Creek and Deer Creek are two that come to mind. You'll probably find bigger crappie in these creeks.
It's a crying Shame for fisherman that our own PIGEON CREEK that runs though Evansville, IN is so polluted. The industrial discharges and farm land soil runoff have created this mess.

Other lakes that I just thought about. Scales Lake in Boonville. You can rent a small boat for the day and fish that lake. It's got black crappie. Large mouth Bass, catfish and good bluegill populations. (Sunfish).

And there are hundreds of private lakes around this area. Maybe you can get permission to fish one of these. Many a big fish have been caught out of a private pond.

And up by Yankee Town Just North of the ALCOA factory there is a creek that empties into the Ohio River. This is LITTLE PIGEON CREEK. You can fish this creek with a canoe or kayak or a pleasure boat. There is a small parking lot that will hold maybe 10 vehicle and trailer. The ramp is small but adequate. It's about 1 mile from the launch ramp to the Ohio River. Beware of BARGES when you exit the mouth of the creek and enter the Ohio River.

Well I have always had good luck fishing bass and bluegill at bluegrass, although I never fish the big pits, I always stick to the smaller ones. I ushually go with my friend who has a boat but he is in Colorado for the week. I thought I would give Otter and Loon pits a try since moose said he has good luck there and I havent fished them in a while. Ive always heard that Oakland city lake was good fishing but Ive never tried it. I didnt know you were allowed to fish at the golf courses. I also thought about trying scales lake in boonville. I used to fish there years ago and always did ok. Has anyone fished there lately?

[Moose1am]

This past winter I went up to Oakland City looking for Snaky Point. I found the new Oakland City Lake too. I could not figure out where the launch ramp was on the new lake. I found the old city lake too. It's on the way to snaky point. LOL

The new city lake looked very nice. And I think someone above said that the launch ramp is on the South Side of the lake. I saw the campground and found it on the North Side of the lake. I saw a beach area too. But I could not figure out where the road went to get to the launch ramp? I'll have to go back up there again and take a better look.

[daniel240]

Thanks for all the information moose! Im learning so much about crappie fishing from you. I see why crappie are not the most popular fish to fish for. It seems they take a lot more work to find and learn their habits. Im still going to give it a shot this week. If I dont catch any crappie Ill be happy with some bluegill. Anything to throw in the frying pan. It looks like the weathers going to be good thursday and friday so I think I may try Helfrich golf course. I saw on google earth they had a few small lakes on the west end of the course. Friday I may go up to bluegrass or Oakland city. Ill let you all know how I do.

[skeeter sf150sx]

Hey Moose How did you like snakey point. It gets pretty narley in there with all the lilly pads. I have a couple of buddies that take there jon boats out there and have cought some good 7 and 8 pounders in the spawn season. but once summer hits the lilly pads take over. I have always wanted to take my fiberglass boat out there but I just can't convince myself that it is worth the time since I like to concentrate on waters where tourneys are held. - By the way the Okland Cities New lake boat ramp is in the back side (South) it is a rock ramp. Instead of turning into the main entrance follow the rock road that goes past the dam. It makes a 90 degree right turn and then the very next rock road to your right is the road to thier ramp and the City shrub and brush dump.

Went to Bluegrass Monday water temps at 43 I hope they go up by the weekend.
Anyone Know about water temps up at Patoka?

[Moose1am]

I only know about 3 areas on Bluegrass Pit that I have caught crappie. Bluegrass pit is almost 200 acres in size or more than twice the size of otter pit. I think it also gets fished harder than Otter pit at least by boats. But otter gets fished hard too.

I don't know Bluegrass pit that well because I have not had the JUICE in my trolling motor to cover this entire lake. I don't like launching from the North End as it's so shallow and there is no concrete ramp.

Looking at the weather report for this week is getting me anxious for the warmer weather. I may have to go out and buy a new 2007/08 Fishing/Hunting License this week.

Crappie will be going into the shallow waters soon to feed. They are not ready to spawn just jet but they will be basking in the warmer shallow waters during the hotest parts of the day hopefully.

[Moose1am]

I was bored today and went back to browse some old posts. I read this one and the part about the Muskie caught my eye.

I fished Bluegrass Pit one day this week (Mon or Tue) and when at the launch ramp I spotted what appeared to be a 6" to 10" long baby Muskie. It sure looked like a muskie to me. It may have been a gar but I don't think so. This was colored like a Northern Pike which I have caught a lot of these fish and know what they look like. I have seen gar before and this didn't have the mouth of a gar nor the fins or tail of a gar. This was a yearly muskie for sure.

I have yet to talk to anyone knowledgeable about when the IDNR stocked the muskie in Bluegrass Pit. Now there are signs at the launch ramp with 36" size limits for muskie so that tells me that they are putting muskie in this pit.

I hope they don't eat too many of the crappie. LOL. I am going to be trolling crank baits in these pits this summer. Maybe in a few more years I may hook into one of the grown up muskie. That could be fun trying to land a 36" long Muskie.

I did noticed that last Sunday the parking lots of Bluegrass Pit South, Loon Pit North and Otter pit were full of trucks and boat trailers. I think I counted almost 26 boats on these three pits.

I try to avoid fishing on the weekends if I can. It's more peaceful during the middle of the week. But last Tuesday when I fished Bluegrass pit I saw 6 other boats on the lake that day.

Hi ,
Just wanted to add my 2 cents . I know Moose likes Otter pit but personally I haven't had much luck on any of the Bluegrass pits . I have caught some small crappie in Loon pit on the eastern back side in the boat but only caught good ones {11-14" } the first few years after they opened the pits , the past 2 years nothing but 7-8 inches . The Bluegrass pit is worthless - not to step on any toe's - I wish I had all the time back I wasted getting skunked there . I believe it is fished out and now the DNR has stocked muskie ? No thanks . The lake at USI may have a few gill but there is a reason you don't see anyone fishing it . If you want to drive a little go up to Oakland City and fish the city's reservoir on the south side out of town , its called New Lake . Head up 57 and before you get to the stoplight with the Grundy's res. take the last right turn - there will be a sign saying something about the lake . You go down about 5 miles past the RR tracks and the wire company . Its on the right . They have a real nice dam that is mowed and pretty good size so you can move around and they have a campground too . I have caught lots of descent gill and a few crappie off the bank . There is a boat ramp on the southern side of the lake and there is a self-serve bait shop in town and there is a DNR office where you can get maps of the area . If you cant get out of Eville why not try the lakes at Helfric { sic } golf course ? Or Cypress creek up past Newburgh ? If you really want to fish you should try and find a small jon boat and get out on the water - its the best way to be successful .


Tight lines

[RiverRunt]

According to Dan Carnahan with IDNR, both pits on each side of the road as you enter Bluegrass from Boonville - New Harmony Road were stocked with about 600 Muskies each. I cannot remember exactly when but it was late last season or early this year. He spoke at an earlier meeting of the Ohio Valley Fly Rod Club and this subject was brought up. In addition to the individual that rotates between pits doing creel studies, the Muskie are being monitored closely in ways that are not readily evident.