The daily limit on Wappapello remains at 30 fish.

Missouri's southeast region offers ample opportunities on smaller water as well. Next door to Wappapello Lake, and just south of Clearwater Lake, you'll find Duck Creek Conservation Area. As the name implies, Duck Creek is primarily a waterfowl destination, but the clear, shallow waters of the enhanced wetland area offer a unique glimmer of hope for hearty crappie anglers.

"Hearty" is the requisite descriptor because for all the respectable crappie at Duck Creek CA, the area provides an equal -- or greater -- dose of frustration. Anglers employing jigs here are likely to encounter heavy vegetation in the shallow, clear lake during the summer months.

MDC officials say the vegetation at Duck Creek can be a deterrent for some anglers, while a few regulars and an occasional hardcore fisherman or fisher-woman seems to view it as an enjoyable challenge. The vegetation flourishes when the summer sun penetrates the clear water and reaches the lake floor, starting in early summer. Because of the extremely shallow water and better-than-normal clarity, those in the know suggest using light line and small bobbers.

Not only will a crappie angler be treated to a remote, quaint fishing experience at Duck Creek CA, but it's likely he or she can capture a few glimpses of a resident family or two of bald eagles living in the area as well.

SOUTHWEST REGION
Go West, young man: More than a century and a half ago, that was the exhortation to Easterners seeking a more prosperous life for their families. The same advice could be extended to those looking for some of the state's premier crappie impoundments.

Already known for Branson, Silver Dollar City, Springfield and the home of Bass Pro Shops, the state's southwest quadrant is also home to some of the Midwest's best crappie lakes. Consider sampling the waters of Pomme de Terre Lake northeast of Springfield, and don't overlook Table Rock Lake or Stockton Lake.

Go West, young man: More than a century and a half ago, that was the exhortation to Easterners seeking a more prosperous life for their families. The same advice could be extended to those looking for some of the state's premier crappie impoundments.

Pomme De Terre Lake offered some excellent fishing opportunities in both 2006 and 2007. An above-average shad population continues to keep all species in the lake at higher-than-normal numbers, and crappie are no exception. The lake offers a mix of both black and white crappie, and 2006 samples indicate black crappie account for 95 percent of the crappie in the lake. The sampling also turned up several black crappie in the 13-inch-plus category. Another important finding showed 58 percent of the fish estimated to be a year or older exceeded 9 inches in length.