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Best crappie lakes in Missouri

102 Missouri waters list crappie (official records or labelled estimates), 18 mapped with survey or official-chart depth data. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality, leading with the waters in our reviewed search catalog — 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. Table Rock Lake — 218 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 19 public access sites
2. Lake of the Ozarks — 130 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #2: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 6 public access sites
3. Norfork Lake — 176 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
4. Bull Shoals Lake — 210 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #4: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 7 public access sites
5. Harry S. Truman Reservoir — 90 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #5: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
6. Stockton Lake — 100 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #6: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 6 public access sites
7. Mark Twain Lake — 70 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #7: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 18 public access sites
8. Pomme de Terre Lake — 80 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #8: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 18 public access sites
9. Smithville Lake — 55 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #9: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 20 public access sites
10. Osage River — 30 ft max · Walleye, White Bass, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #10: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 7 public access sites
11. Wappapello Lake — 35 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #11: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 8 public access sites
12. Clearwater Lake — 43 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 8 public access sites
13. Mozingo Lake — 72 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
14. Thomas Hill Reservoir — 45 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #14: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 4 public access sites
15. Forest Lake — 43 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
16. Fellows Lake — 81 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
17. Hazel Creek Lake — 44 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
18. Harrison County Lake — 24 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
19. Lake Jacomo — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #19: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 3 public access sites
20. Blue Springs Lake — 34 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
21. Longview Lake — 66 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #21: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 2 public access sites
22. Creve Coeur Lake — 10 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #22: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 3 public access sites
23. Council Bluff Lake — 50 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #23: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 2 public access sites
24. James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area — 11 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #24: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
25. James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area — 12 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #25: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached

…plus 77 more Missouri waters holding crappie.

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When to fish crappie in Missouri

• 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 Missouri: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best white bass lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best rainbow trout 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 brown trout lakes

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