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Best crappie lakes in North Carolina

17 North Carolina waters hold crappie. 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. Kerr Lake (Buggs Island) — 100 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish, Striped Bass
2. Lake Norman — 130 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
3. Lake Gaston — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
4. Fontana Lake — 440 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
5. Falls Lake — 35 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
6. High Rock Lake — 40 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish, Blue Catfish
7. Jordan Lake — 40 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
8. Lake Wylie — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
9. Hiwassee Lake — 300 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
10. Lake Tillery — 80 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
11. Lake James — 120 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
12. Badin Lake — 190 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
13. Harris Lake — 40 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
14. Santeetlah Lake — 190 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
15. Lake Waccamaw — 11 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
16. Mountain Island Lake — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
17. W. Kerr Scott Reservoir — 90 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie

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When to fish crappie in North Carolina

• 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 North Carolina: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best striped bass lakes · best blue catfish lakes · best spotted bass lakes · best white perch lakes

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