| In several fishing regions, Virginia crappie | | | | pressure on this lake, so there is never a |
| fishing can be incredibly productive and | | | | lack of good sized, mature crappie due to |
| offers new anglers a great opportunity to | | | | over harvesting. Because it is a large |
| build confidence in their ability to catch a | | | | impoundment, the food that allows for the |
| good number of fish. By following tips to | | | | crappie to gain such size is the typical shad |
| enjoy Virginia crappie fishing at excellent | | | | and alewives, as well as small sunfish and |
| lakes, you can start off with a wonderful | | | | minnows. One problem with Smith is its lack |
| amount of good-sized specimens that will make | | | | of heavy cover as a natural habitat for the |
| you want to come back for more. | | | | crappie. However, they can find what they |
| | | | need along the shoreline in the summer |
| Lake Cohoon is a prized Virginia crappie | | | | months. |
| fishing lake in the tidewater region. Part | | | | |
| of the Portsmouth city water supply, this | | | | If you are in the southern mountain region of |
| 510-acre lake is a great place to find plenty | | | | Virginia, crappie fishing is excellent at |
| of good-sized specimens, ranging from eight | | | | North Fork Pound Lake. Built in 1966, it |
| to eleven inches, with records showing | | | | consists of 154 acres with a 13-mile |
| crappie of up to sixteen inches in length. | | | | shoreline that provides abundant structure |
| Check out the "S" curves in the upper part of | | | | and coverage for crappie seclusion. The |
| the lake where there are a number of fallen | | | | VDGIF has stocked the lake well with |
| trees providing a natural covered habitat for | | | | eight-inch crappie that continue to spawn in |
| crappie. The water is also slightly stained, | | | | the cover provided by hinge-cut trees and |
| giving crappie an advantage, since they don't | | | | other vegetation. You might also take note |
| particularly care for clear waters in most | | | | of the 7,580-acre South Holston Lake, 1,600 |
| circumstances. Cypress trees and other | | | | acres of which is still maintained under the |
| vegetation add to the natural cover that | | | | rights of Virginia, despite that it has |
| attracts and breeds large quantities of | | | | become a project of the Tennessee Valley |
| crappie. | | | | Authority. Here, you'll get a chance to fish |
| | | | for both white and black crappie, though the |
| In the southern Piedmont region, you'll find | | | | latter are the more prominent in South |
| adequate Virginia crappie fishing at Smith | | | | Holston. Some samples of large black crappie |
| Mountain Lake. While you may not catch a | | | | have shown sizes up to fifteen inches in |
| large number of fish, the ones you grab will | | | | length, and three-pounders are certainly not |
| be quite sizeable. There is no heavy | | | | unheard of. |