Crappie

Fort Smith, Arkansas, offers some excellent crappie fishing opportunities, particularly in the Arkansas River and its backwater areas. Lake Fort Smith, a clear-water reservoir, also holds a decent crappie population, though it can be more challenging to locate them there. Spring is undoubtedly the best time to target crappie, as they move shallow to spawn. Focus on areas with submerged structure like brush piles, fallen trees, and docks. A local trick is to use minnows or jigs under a slip bobber, adjusting the depth until you find the fish. For the Arkansas River, the mouths of creeks and sloughs are often productive. The crappie in this region tend to average around 10-12 inches, but larger slabs are certainly possible, especially during the pre-spawn period.