Spring crappie most often are caught in the upper half of Lake Ouachita, although there are some outstanding crappie-fishing areas nearer the dam. Still, the upper reaches seem to be more consistent, perhaps because there's more shallow water there. There is a lot of good crappie fishing in the midlake area, too. Good bets include the Mountain Harbor, Joplin, Tompkins Bend, Crystal Springs and Big Fir public use areas on the south side, and Irons Fork, Avant and Buckville on the north shore.

Lake Ouachita is accessible throughout its length from U.S. Highway 270 west of Hot Springs (south side) or Arkansas 298 between the towns of Blue Springs and Story (north side). For more info, call the Lake Ouachita field office in Royal at (501) 767-2101 or log on to www.mvk.usace.army.mil and check the "Lakes" page for Lake Ouachita.

DISTRICT 9
With waters like Ozark, Atkins and Hinkle, District 9 (Crawford, Franklin, Johnson, Newton, Pope, Sebastian, Logan, Scott and Yell counties) doesn't lack anything in the crappie department. My top pick for big crappie, however, may surprise some folks.

With crappie averaging well over a pound, and a lot of them in the 2-pound class, Blue Mountain Lake is my choice. Though this Corps impoundment is seldom mentioned when big crappie are the topic of conversation, it's been known to produce more than its share of 3 to 3 1/2-pound barn doors.

There's abundant crappie cover in the form of willows, buckbrush and brushpiles, and crappie find a healthy supply of shad and minnows to feed on. In spring, when the water is high and back in the bushes, some of the best fishing is from Hise Hill Landing on the lake's south side upriver (west) to the Third Bridge.

Situated 13 miles east of Booneville, this 2,900-acre lake is accessed via state highways 10, 217, 109 and 309. For more information, phone the Blue Mountain Lake Branch of the Corps in Havana at (479) 947-2372, or log on to www.swl.usace.army.mil/parks/bluemtn.

DISTRICT 10
This central Arkansas district includes Van Buren, Cleburne, Conway, Faulkner, White and Perry counties. Although the area includes such well-known crappie lakes as Conway, Overcup and Harris Brake, few people would contest the choice of Lake Nimrod as the district's best slab hole. Nimrod has long been considered one of Arkansas' premier crappie hot spots.

Nimrod produces lots of 1-pound crappie, and quite a few 2-pounders. Many stringers include fish pushing the 3-pound mark. The way the lake is managed for flood control makes it good. The water is usually high in spring and low in fall, which is good for crappie. There's also plenty of good spawning and feeding cover.

This 3,550-acre Corps project is south of Danville and Ola in Yell and Perry counties. Access is from state highways 60 and 28. The best crappie fishing is usually in late spring after water comes out of the buckbrush. If the water's not high, fish old creek channels running into the river channel, usually 6 to 8 feet deep. If the water is up, fish in and along the buckbrush.

Additional information is available from the Nimrod Project Office in Plainview; phone (479) 272-4324, or log onto www.swl.usace.army.mil/ parks/nimrod.