← Kentucky fishing maps

Best crappie lakes in Kentucky

47 Kentucky waters hold crappie, 24 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. Schooling panfish that suspends around timber, brush and creek channels.

1. Kentucky Lake — 75 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, CrappieWhy #1: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 44 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
2. Lake Barkley — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie, BluegillWhy #2: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 39 public access sites
3. Lake Cumberland — 200 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #3: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 57 public access sites, 4 carry-in or shore-oriented
4. Ohio River — McAlpine Pool — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, CrappieWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 11 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
5. Dale Hollow Lake — 130 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #5: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 5 public access sites
6. Ohio River — Markland Pool — 80 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, CrappieWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 13 public access sites
7. Ohio River — Meldahl Pool — 57 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, CrappieWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 10 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
8. Rough River Lake — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 12 public access sites
9. Ohio River — Greenup Pool — 50 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, CrappieWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 7 public access sites
10. Cave Run Lake — 90 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #10: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 15 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
11. Ohio River — Newburgh Pool — 62 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites
12. Nolin River Lake — 85 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #12: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 8 public access sites
13. Ohio River — J.T. Myers Pool — 49 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
14. Ohio River — Cannelton Pool — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, CrappieWhy #14: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 3 public access sites
15. Green River Lake — 80 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #15: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 13 public access sites, 3 carry-in or shore-oriented
16. Laurel River Lake — 280 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #16: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 8 public access sites
17. Barren River Lake — 75 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #17: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 10 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
18. Grayson Lake — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #18: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 5 public access sites
19. Taylorsville Lake — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Saugeye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #19: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 4 public access sites
20. Paintsville Lake — 100 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #20: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 5 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
21. Yatesville Lake — 50 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #21: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 4 public access sites
22. Buckhorn Lake — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #22: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 5 public access sites
23. Lake Beshear — 28 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
24. Guist Creek Lake — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Saugeye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
25. Herrington Lake — 249 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #25: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 9 public access sites

…plus 22 more Kentucky waters holding crappie.

Find the closest crappie waters to you →

When to fish crappie in Kentucky

• Spring 2–8 ft — The famous spring bite: brush, timber and docks in protected shallow pockets.
• Summer 10–25 ft — Find suspended schools over channel-edge brush piles and deep timber.
• Fall 8–20 ft — Schools follow shad into creeks; fish channel bends with cover.
• Winter 15–35 ft — Tight schools in deep holes and channel bends; slow presentations.

Also in Kentucky: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best sauger lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best muskellunge lakes · best white bass & hybrids lakes · best flathead catfish lakes · best blue catfish lakes · best freshwater drum lakes · best common carp lakes · best longnose gar lakes · best rock bass lakes

Crappie elsewhere: Ontario · Wisconsin · Minnesota · British Columbia · Québec · Michigan · Maine · New Hampshire · Montana · New York · Wyoming · Massachusetts · Washington · Florida · Indiana · North Dakota · Iowa · Texas · Ohio · Connecticut · Nebraska · Missouri · Vermont · California · Oklahoma · South Dakota · Utah · Arizona · Colorado · Illinois · New Mexico · Kansas · West Virginia · Mississippi · Idaho · New Jersey · Alabama · Oregon · Tennessee · Georgia · North Carolina · Delaware · Nevada · Manitoba · Virginia · Rhode Island · Louisiana · South Carolina · Pennsylvania · Arkansas · Maryland