Don't leave the northwestern region without hitting Happy Holler Lake. Like many of the state's crappie impoundments, Happy Holler was the site of brushpile additions in recent years to enhance existing natural cover. Crappie measuring up to 12 inches suspend near the newer brushpiles or around submerged standing timber. Maps indicating the locations of new brushpiles are available on the MDC Web site.

If it's a crappie-catching experience you seek -- and not necessarily a crappie creel-limit experience -- stop by the half-dozen lakes in the Hartell Conservation Area northeast of Plattsburg.

Anyone familiar with southeast Missouri and its fishing will quickly recognize two names: Clearwater Lake and Wappapello Lake. Both offer ideal crappie habitat created by spring-fed waters and clean Ozark streams.

Hartell CA boasts five lakes (and a sixth smaller pond used exclusively for special events) that contain ample quantities of many species of fish. Intense management over the years has turned this handful of small lakes into a treasure trove for anyone willing to practice catch-and-release angling. The small lakes are open to artificial lures only, which bodes well for crappie anglers.

Accessing the lakes requires small boats or canoes with paddles or electric motors only (no gas outboards). If you don't want to bring your own, a few small boats are available at no charge. For a unique crappie experience, Hartell CA should definitely be on your list.

NORTHEAST REGION
Head east and you're likely to end up at Thomas Hill Lake, where productive crappie angling is available year 'round. Thomas Hill serves as a reservoir of recycled cooling water for a coal-fired electrical generation plant. Warmwater discharge from the plant creates ideal growth conditions for crappie even during the winter months.

During the early 1990s, the MDC worked fervently to stock 4,500-acre Thomas Hill Lake with brushpiles. The old cover was supplemented with new brush in 2005, and additional brushpiles were added. The cover locations can be identified using a map available from the MDC Northeast Regional Office at (660) 785-2420 or by simply looking for the yellow "Fish Attractor" signs posted on the shoreline.

White crappie are the most-sought fish in Thomas Hill Lake. Crappie sampling and angler surveys from 2006 pegged nearly 60 percent of harvested fish at 9 inches or longer. In 2007 those numbers improved slightly, and there's no reason to suspect that 2008 won't be even better.

Again, for those wishing to target crappie on quieter waters, consider downsizing to Deer Ridge Lake's 48 acres in the Deer Ridge Conservation Area. You can expect to find a substantial population of black crappie measuring 8 to 10 inches, especially during the spring months. As with most crappie lakes, standing timber and submerged brushpiles are prime targets early and often.