Thread: Not Numbers, But BIG Crappie

I wonder how many guys would be willing to share where (what Illinois lake) they have caught their biggest crappie and how big it was. I caught a 16.5 incher bank fishing at Tower Lake on the SIUE campus several years ago. I also caught a 17 inch monster crappie out of Coffeen. For sheer numbers, I have fished several lakes that produced good fish, but those are my biggest so far. I wonder which Illinois lakes consistently produce the largest overall crappie?

The Crappieranger

In Southern Illinios, I would say right know Cedar Lake is producing the biggest fish consistently. I don't fish there but have seen several legitimate 2 pound crappie that have been caught out of there.

Kinkaid has some big crappie in it also.

My biggest is 18" out of Sangchris lake

There is a pool on the mississippi that produces buckets of 13 to 17 inch fish. Sangchris is a secret hotspot for big fish. I have a buddy who lives on Lake camelot near bartonville and there is numerous 2 lb.+ fish there and a 2 10 oz.was caught not to long ago.

well...Im actually going to have to say that kaskaskia river coming into shelbyville. Iv caught two 16 inchers from there. Nothin compaired to the 17's that a few of you have caught, jealous!

my biggest is 16 even so i have caught numerous 14 and 15s.
my 16 was out of a local pond but i have gotten quite a few 14s and lost one thst was prob close to 3 lbs at clinton

17 from lake decatur

I have two on the wall that are just over sixteen inches, both males in spawning colors. Huge males aren't as easy to find. They both are three pounds. A buddy of mine got a sixteen inch female from same small brushpile. He had one up on the surface way bigger than all of them probably four plus. Same brushpile(where you say) Arkabutla Lake in Mississippi. I have caught maybe fifty fifteen inch fish in my life mostly at Kentucky Lake. I have however caught nine fifteen inch fish off Shelbyville and seven from Clinton. I have had three clients catch a fifteen inch fish out of my boat all up in Okaw in spring. Clinton has many big fish in it. I have an 11.4 pound 32 inch walleye and a 22.4 pound 37 inch pure strain striper and a 19.8 pound 35 inch hybrid. Nine ounces from a state record.

nice fish there steve. you got me on pure stripers and walleye, but my largest hybrid also went 19.8 from clinton spillway. my largest pure was right at 15 and largest eye around 4 lbs several times