patoka help

[crappie seeker]

My wife and kids are going to patoka over spring break weekend next week and we are looking for some good crappie spots. I never been on the lake before. I've heard that there is alot of timber on the lake! I am new to crappie fishing but want to try it. I have a handheld gps unit and a new hotspots map of the lake. It looks huge! Any help would be helpful and appreciated? I heard that it is really high right now too. Hopefully next weekend it will be down. We are just wanting to go have a fun time fishing.

[gone_fishing]

Good luck next week. I fished patoka yesterday. Got there around 1:00 or so. I put in at Painter Creek everyone coming off the lake that had fished the morning had said they didn't have a bite all day. I fished till around 7 that evening we caught some crappie nothing to brag about biggest was probably 10 inches released them all.

Water temp was 46 when we started fishing we found some water that was 50. River channel is muddy or I would of fished that 2nd guessing myself because I didn't fish it. Crappie are staging found them in the mouths of coves in 18 ft of water. Cold and muddy not a good combo with more rain on the way. If I fish Patoka this weekend I will let you know at this point I am undecided.

[wannabe fisherman]

Painters creek, walls ramp and Osbourne ramp are all good places to go. Remember this when running the big motor make sure your in the main channel the lake is up and there are a lot of submerged tree tops just out side the channel. Don't want to find them the hard way. Good Luck

[crappie seeker]

Thanks guys, all information is a help. Any quotable areas around painters creek, walls or osborne. I see them areas on the hot spots map! Looks like osborne ramp would be the best ramp to launch at to hit them areas! Hopefully to save on gas a little! lol I am not looking for wall hangers just a fun weekend with wife and kids over spring break!

[wannabe fisherman]

off to the right from Osborne there's a virtual forest under water from the ramp all the way to the bend. might be some crappie in there but be careful some trees are UNDER water and hard to see. Hope this helps some.
I don't boat there but fish from the pier there and it's over tree tops.

[SLAB MASTER]

I suggest you might want to consider another location to fish next week. Patoka is as high as I have seen it. I have only been fishing it for about ten years. It is high and muddy. I talked to a friend of mine that was on the lake Monday and he only caught two keepers. He caught several runts. I wish I had better news for you.