The best crappie lake in Texas?

I have had folks tell me that lake Mineral Wells is the 4th top rated lake in Texas for crappie. What lakes are considered numbers 1,2 and 3?

Mineral Wells is a good little crappie lake but those folks obviously haven't been to Texoma, Cedar Creek, Pines, Fork or Palestine. Those are my top 5 not in any particular order for big crappie.

What is considered a Big Crappie?

You accidently left out Bridgeport.

In Texoma, you need to use bass lures to catch crappies.

I think the best crappie lake is the one you know and know where to track the crappie at. I am not so sure one lake is really that much better than the next.

I know where my best is!

I would say 2 pounds. For me that is a Big Crappie but something that I can catch 1 or 2 of in a week.

I don't know if any Texas lakes have consistently produced 3 pound crappie.

The chance to catch a 3 pounder but can catch 2 pounders pretty consistently.

Larry, Bridgeport is an excellent crappie lake and love the clear water.

I read in a magazine once that texoma, fork, lake o the pines, and Toledo bend are nationally recognized crappie lakes all in Texas.I think the rating order for Texas was 1. Fork 2. Texoma 3.pines 4. Toledo bend but the order could be different now and some lakes could have dropped. You have to keep in mind there are very few lakes in Texas that could be called a bad crappie lake and rating depends heavily on opinion.

Toledo Bend is hard to beat....

seems to me there are lots of great crappie lakes here to me
bigger fish east of 35 on average in most cases
but some of the west stuff is flat full of em
"best" is a relative term ....
best for numbers ?
best for the angler ?
best for big fish ?
etc

and mineral wells is NOT the "best" for the winter angler without a boat ramp btw

the best lakes to me are the ones with water in them, and I can get to fish often, But I'm in west texas and it's tuff out here for water, I fish where I can and when I can, so mine are Fort phantom Lake Leon, and back and forth, back and forth, occasionally Kirby and back and forth, back and forth, thats my list

lake fork by far

Toledo, Fork, Palestine, Sandlin, Pines, etc...etc...

I would have agreed several years ago but not now. Not sure how Lewisville and Lavon got left out. Oh and Roberts too.

The best crappie lake in Texas is the one that produced your latest limit of slabs. That may also be the same lake that skunked you a few days earlier. We can burn up the highways chasing the reports of huge crappie being caught at this lake or that, and that can be loads of fun and adventure. If it is consistent catches you're looking for, pay attention to the lake near you, learn it, fish it often, and you'll do well. Unless of course you don't know what you're doing....in that case keep on reading this forum and pay attention.
Fish On!!

I agree. But some lakes can be more consistant than others.

I personally would not put Fork in the top 5, Good but not deserving of top 5.
Palestine
Toledo bend
Mineral Wells
Lavon
Texoma and not necessarily in this order

If you polled the amount of boats on the water targeting crappie right now, Pines would win.

Currenly.
OH.Ivie. If you can launch out of Concho. Run up the River.
South-Concho River. Behind Nasworthy. With a Kayak.

Ask and you shall receive!

10 Best Crappie Lakes in Texas

I've never been to Toledo Bend but it's one I need get to one day. I also want to fish Caddo. I've heard of some monster crappie caught out there during spawn. Jigging Cypress Tree's in 3 and 4 foot of water sounds awesome...

fished caddo for alot of years and there is some good crappie for sure, love me some cypress tree jiggin, been to toledo twice with limited results

Go ahead and stay away from Tawakoni so the rest of us can limit out on lunker crappie.

If you spent enough time learning your lake it will turn out to be the best lake in Texas for you. It doesn't matter how few crappie other people catch on a lake, it only matters how many you can catch.

And a major factor in that is how much time you spend learning that particular lake. JMHO.

We speak the same lingo ezgoing. We had a travel trailer on Texoma at Paw Paw Creek Resort many years ago. From the docks there we could fish in water from 6' to 25' deep. At any time of year we could find slabs under one of those docks. Having said that my best lake must be Texoma. Paw Paw Creek resort is no more, it was fun while it lasted though.

I caught the biggest on Palestine, the most on Richland Chambers and lots on Fork too, especially in the winter when they are stacked up like cord wood on the humps!

in all honesty I think there are some spots that are not on the radar that are very good crappie lakes and or water bodies
I fish a lot of the out of the way places and do pretty well on both size and numbers most of the time
for instance the trinity river .....
had a conversation with someone the other day about that
it seems the dad of this person has been ketchn HOG crappie in there for many many years
and told them it was the best place in DFW to ketch REALLY big crappie
I don't know if that's totally true but I have managed a bunch a big fish out of it for sure

Lake Atwill.

In my opinion, the best lake is the one where you can meet a good friend, have a great day fishing, if you catch that's a bonus.. I've had several great days on the water with some really good friends, and met some others as well..
So What's the best Lake?
I don't know!
Happy New Year TFF.
Jigum

Every day fishing is a great day for me, even the days when I am skunked.

Joe Pool is now my best crappie lake. And eventually I will spend enough time on it to learn it to the point where I will be able to catch my limit of five keeper crappie every trip.

I know Joe Pool has large crappie in it, as I have seen other people bring them in and have caught a few myself.

The question for me is not whether Joe Pool is the best crappie lake in Texas, the question is whether I will become good enough at fishing Joe Pool to catch five nice sized crappie each fishing trip to take home to eat.

Each Texas Lake has a Rating provided by TPWD on their website, type in the Lake Name , go to TPWD Site and the TPWD will tell you on a chart if the Lake is Poor, good, or Excellent for what ever species of Fish your looking for.

Lets getter done Bitter

What? No love for Lewisville.

That's right, it was terrible last year. Almost forgot.

Lewisville has really fallen off with the low water.

Crockett and Coffeemill are great this time of year

You Lie like a Rug!
Just sayin..

That's an easy one The best Crappie Lake in Texas is which ever one I am fishin that Day !!

There's a little jewel near Carthage, Texas named "Murvaul" that y'all need not visit. THERE AIN'T NO CRAPPIE TO BE FOUND IN THAT LAKE AT ALL!!

As always a Class act Matt

Tawakoni.
Huge Crappie under docks and in creeks half the spring every year

Phantom lol

You guys have to take Texoma off your list of texas lakes! Unless something happened last night, the boundry is on the south side of the lake!!! Putting it all in OKLAHOMA!!!! So, stay off my lake! (Unless, of course, you have golden honey holes I don't know about!)

Paw Paw marina may not be there, but the brush still is.

No crappie west of I35...

Tell me about it

The best crappie lake is always the one I'm not fishing on.

West of i35 and shocked not mentioned lake proctor Leon as well but was mentioned. More bait fish in those lakes than any I have ever seen. Plenty to eat=big slabs!

We speak the same lingo ezgoing. We had a travel trailer on Texoma at Paw Paw Creek Resort many years ago. From the docks there we could fish in water from 6' to 25' deep. At any time of year we could find slabs under one of those docks. Having said that my best lake must be Texoma. Paw Paw Creek resort is no more, it was fun while it lasted though. [/quote]

Paw Paw marina may not be there, but the brush still is. [/quote]

Bobby and I took a ride over there Friday around noon. Someone has opened a private, gated community where PawPaw marina used to be. We jumped the fence where the old road has been closed and it looks like it would be a great place to try in a south wind. So, we'll likely it this sping sometime.
Just west of PawPaw someone is really spending money on the new Marina...can't recall for sure but, Texoma Marina? New floating marina, new covered slips for BIG boats, new RV spaces, etc.

I have crappie fished a lot of lakes. A lot of them were good but there is always one that stands out. Lake lavon has crappie in numbers and its nothing to catch your limit of 14 inchers plus. Lavon to me is the best kept secret when it comes to crappie lakes.

10 Best Crappie Lakes in Texas!

Lewisville is still a nice lake for crappie. The water level hasn't been too low compared to others.

Lake Waco is terrible. I don't even drive over it anymore.

ray roberts imo

Every time I go to Falcon I get into some really nice crappie. I've caught a number of 2#er's. bass fishing ain't bad either!

Cheers,

George

Wacorusty what are you talking about. We have crappie in Waco you just need to know how to find them.

Texoma lets you keep 37 a day. My vote for sure

What??? Can't believe no one mentioned lake nacagdoches

Ketchn, you have that right, but the best lakes are the ones that you don't hear about. In all of the lakes its the local people that catch the big and most fish. And I can yell you they keep it local, here in north-east Texas ever lake has a record that people know about and the one that is always a lot bigger that the locals have.