Doe Run Lake crappie

[MetalFish513]

I live very close to this lake and have fished it a few times for bass. Can't really say it's been all that great. Caught a few good ones between 3 and 4 pounds every once in a great while but it's mostly just been dinks. And the numbers are never really that great either. It's been a very humbling lake for me to say the least.

Although I've never actually seen any crappie in this lake I've heard of a lot of people catching them out of there. I was wondering if anyone on here has targeted crappie in Doe Run Lake. If so, would you be able to give me a few pointers on how I could hook into some once spring rolls around?

Thanks!

[crappiepappy]

I looked at this : doe run lake - Google Maps

I've never fished this lake, but from what I can see .... I'd say start at the dam, northern bank, and dip jigs or minnows along that bank around every piece of wood cover you can see. Normally I'd say cast a jig or marabou Roadrunner along the bank ... but it looks like it may have quite a bit of moss or grass around the shallows, so that may not be a viable option. If the moss hasn't started getting too thick, casting MAY be OK. And if you were there prior to any spawning .... trolling a jig or Roadrunner out away from the bank, parallel to the bank, in about 10ft of water, and running the baits around 6-8ft deep, should put you in contact with any Crappie moving towards their spawning spots. If you start getting moss on your baits at that depth ... shallow them up until you're running them at least 1ft above the moss.

With the lake only being 30 acres, and the Bass not being all that big (?) ... I wouldn't get my hopes up about catching many Crappie of any great size (at least not in any numbers). That would be especially true if the Crappie population is of the White Crappie species, or a mix of White & Black Crappie. If there's only Black Crappie in the lake, that would be better .... but still wouldn't guarantee that stunting wasn't taking place.

... pappy

[GobyPuck]

If you have electronics find some sunken brush piles and sit back off them while casting a 1/16 ounce weedless jig with a curly tail or solid body tube grub. I use a 6 foot medium action spinning rod with 4 or 6 pound clear mono. Cast beyond brush, let sink and reel very slow keeping your rod tip DOWN and STILL and feeling for a thump. When you feel the thump hammer him..don't be gentle.
Most of the time when the lure pulls free from a limb or piece of brush is when they nail it...not always though because I like to start out fishing above the brush to see if the fish are active letting the lure not sink as long after the cast and using a little faster retrieve. Btw you don't need a real expensive rod and reel to be successful, I've got about 75 dollars invested in both rod and reel and they do just fine. Let the water color and cloud cover dictate lure color...stained water I use charteuse and any charteuse combo....clear water I use gray, clear pepper, shad color, and green pumpkin. Charlie Brewers crappie sliders will work also and are very weedless.

If your lake is clear like my local lake is bass fishing is tough so you have to size down when its slow. The Strike King Flipping Jig is a killer at my lake. You don't even use a trailer most of the time and they love it when the bite is off. Also casting a 5 inch curly tail grub (green pumpkin) on a 1/8 ounce round jig head produces alot of bites. They make an oversized bass hook for this combo and you can get them at Wally World. Hope this helps you catch some fish..Good Luck!

[jrrose03]

hey don't get discouraged with the bass at doe run....i know a few people that fish that lake regularly, i can honestly say that for its size its one of the better small lakes in Ky that holds big bass....i haven't got to fish it much in the last few years just due to other things going on, but i've seen enough pictures of day catches with multiple 5,6, and 7 lbers...ive also seen a few 8lb+ come out of there to be a believer in that place!.....everyone i know that fishes it seem to do best with carolina rig or 1\4-1\2 oz green pumpkin jig with a touch of chart.\garlic dye....target laydowns and areas with quick access to deeper water...being the 8-12ft range....good luck and don't give up!! trust me the big one's are there!

[863 bassmaster]

I fished that lake when it opened in the 80,s so did every meat hunter in the tri state if there's 6to7lbers in there I need proof because it,s the dead sea IMHO

[jrrose03]

hey i thought the same thing....like i said i dont get to fish it much...the guys i know that fish it i've known my whole life...and would have even been skeptical myself had i not seen the photos....i'll do my best to get ahold of them and try to post a few...i will say this, i know all the lunkers they've pulled out of there were caught in the late fall\winter...only times i got to fish it was during the summer so it was tough fishing from my experience with it..but just because i didn't do so well with my experience there i wouldn't write it off for the next person. but like i said ill do my best to snatch a few photos to post when see one of the guys.

[wags]

It would be nice if the stste of Kentucky would involve Doe Run Lake into the FIN system. It is a quite deep lake so it would be nice if the would stock trout and catfish in it. They stock trout and catfish in Mills Park lake and that is a very shallow lake. I think trout would survive year round in Doe Run Lake.
I heard a good spot to catch crappie in Doe Run Lake is by the overflow.

[jrrose03]

here's a few of the photo's i was able to scrounge up

[dwhanc00]

Not sure all those pictures are from doe run... never seen a bridge or a dock on the lake.

[Gulpfan]

2 are not Doe Run No Bridges or docks.

[GobyPuck]

Must own the local baitshop.

[jrrose03]

ok so thanks to a friend of mine i think i can finally put this debate to rest and quit sounding like an idiot.......a little unknown on my part, but never the less.......the lake im referring to is doe valley lake...or as i've always called it "doe run".....i've always known it by those two names not knowing that there is actually a smaller 30 acre lake also in fact named "doe run" i was told located somewhere around kenton??? not for sure, but i've never been to that lake.....so in fact i've been debating and taking a stand on a lake that im sure most of you are not even talking about............BUT, if there are any doubts about the bass at doe VALLEY lake.......well there's the pics to prove that lol. (minus the third shot, it was in the mix with other photos and i believe that one actually came out of rough).