Favorite Lakes to fish and why

[Meat on the Table]

I fish Kentucky and Barkley lakes in Kentucky, because of proximty, I live on the shores of Barkley and Kentucky is only a fifteen minute drive. I and all my family grew up on the old Cumberland River which is now Barkley. My family was given a revolutionay war land grant to the land on which Barkley lodge and park now stands. I still remember fondly the days before impoundment, and as a little boy running limb lines every morning, and catching crappie in the spring out the little oxbows and back water. Even now I catch crappie off of a brushpile that is dropped at the remains of a concrete wall, that once was the foundation for my grandfathers smokehouse. Maybe it not so much proximity, that causes these lakes to be my favorites, but is memries and family history.

[CrappiePappy]

1) Barkley Lake, Ky ... because I've caught more 2+lb fish from there, than anywhere else.
2)Watts Bar Lake, Tn ... because I've caught so many Slabs from there, and won a Crappie Tourney there, and it's got "big" Blacknose Crappie.
3)Herrington Lake, Ky ... because it's where I started Crappie fishing, close proximity, and it has its share of Slabs, too.
Honorable mentions - Ky Lake (Ky), Weiss Lake (Ala), Taylorsville Lake (Ky)

These lakes are all vastly different from each other, in size & type of lake ... but, they all have one thing in common - Good Crappie fishing :D ...cp

[J White]

My used to be was Davis Lake, a little (<200 acre) lake just off the
Natchez Trace in the Tombigbee Nat'l Forest - It was where I first really
got serious about crappie fishing, and it used to be FULL of 10" crappie -
I could catch 15-30 just about anytime of the year there. It had hybrid
stripes too. Never forget one day, it had come a little shower and I
decided to sit in the truck till it passed. A man was loading up to leave,
and he was some kind of mad - one of those hybrids had spooled him
on his crappie pole/fly reel, and he had tried to grab the spinning reel
handles to stop it - bloody knuckles, and it still got all his line! I got
"raped" by them once or twice myself, and caught several over 10 lbs.
My wife tried to stop one by thumbing the spool on a baitcaster and
got a blister on her thumb for her trouble - those things are mean!
But, they drained it to fix the levee, and I don't think they restocked
crappie. I've only been back once after it re-opened, and didn't catch
any. Somebody has probably introduced crappie on their own by now.
Now its Bay Springs, close seconds Pickwick or some of the other state
park lakes (Trace or Tippah) but they charge so much to fish...
Lets see - $3 (or $0 if you use the county ramp) to fish 6,700 acres at Bay Springs, or $7 to fish 150-300
at the parks.

[crap-king]

I always liked Santee Cooper,SC because my Dad got me started crappie fishing there - seems like it is not the crappie lake it used to be - High Rock in NC is close by so it is a favorite - never found a lake I did not like just some have better fishing than others - maybe I am still looking for my favorite - I guess I will have to come visit some of you guys

[kunes]

Hemlock Lake, one of the 11 Finger Lakes in upstate New York. 8 miles long, 1/2 mile wide and not a single house, cottage or commercial building on the shoreline. 9HP and 16' max boat size so no skiers etc. Caught rainbow trout up to 12lbs and lake trout up to 15 lbs. Never fished it for crappie.