Photo by Ron Sinfelt

Crappie anglers have a wealth of locations to choose from to find excellent papermouth action in Illinois, and you typically don't have to travel far to get in on the fun.

Our state is divided into five different fisheries districts. Here's a look at a couple of lakes in each region offering great crappie angling. One is probably near your home!

REGION I
Department of Natural Resources biologist Ken Russell said one of the best crappie lakes in his area is 95-acre Argyle Lake in McDonough County. Spring sampling showed it to have the best population structure and number of quality-sized fish.

Russell said the lake is home to both black and white crappies, as well as some hybrids. With crappies breeding in confined areas, there is some crossover during fertilization resulting in a hybrid offspring.

Anglers can expect some fair-sized crappies here even though the lake isn't excessively large. Sampling showed white crappies reaching the 10 1/2- to 12-inch range, with a top weight of around 1 1/3 pounds. Black crappies measured similarly at 9 1/2 to 12 inches, but were chunkier and reached weights near 1 3/4 pounds.

Anglers often have good luck here with 1-inch chartreuse tube jigs on 1/32-ounce jigheads. Of course, minnows are the old reliable.

More information on Argyle Lake is available from the site office at (309) 776-5267 or the site interpreter's office at (309) 776-3422. For area info, the chamber of commerce can be reached at (309) 837-4855.

Another good choice in this region is Spring Lake in Tazewell County. Actually, Spring Lake is two separate lakes -- a north lake and a south lake. Both lakes have good crappie fishing, according to biologist Wayne Herndon.

Each lake is very shallow, with an average depth of just under 3 feet. Spring Lake North is 578 acres, while Spring Lake South is 610 acres. Both have good aquatic vegetation.

Most people have the best success at the north lake from February through April. There has been good reproduction there for about the past four to five years, and anglers are starting to see some really nice slabs. Most fish will average around 9 1/2 to 10 inches, but some real dandies up to 14 inches can be caught.

There are white water lilies at this lake, so early-season anglers can often locate crappies by fishing around the old lily stems from previous years. Most anglers have the best success with jigs, minnows or a combination of jigs tipped with minnows.

The south lake is fed by a spring, so it will often warm up earlier in the year than some other area lakes. Still, the best crappie fishing there happens in March and into early April. Fish will usually be in the brush by March and found in water 2 to 4 feet deep. Fish are a little smaller on average in the south lake. Most will be around 9 inches. Crappies typically top out at around 12 to 12 1/2 inches.