I do most of my crappie fishing a couple hours away from the cities. Any direction as long as north is in it. Lots or good crappie fishing in MN but it can be hard to find a decent sized fish in the cities. Go to the MN DNR lake finder page for info on lakes and the fish in them. Alexandria, Ottertail County, Detroit Lakes, Grand Rapids, etc.
Buy some warm outer gear. It can get cold in January!